Uber, driverless taxis in Europe start from Zagreb

The operating model provides for a division of tasks between the three actors involved: Uber will make its platform and catchment area available, the Croatian Verne will operationally manage the fleet, while Pony AI will be responsible for the development of the technological sector. The vehicles currently used on Croatian roads are the Arcfox Alpha T5 models, born from the collaboration between Pony AI and the Chinese state giant BAIC, equipped with seventh generation autonomous driving systems. The industrial plan is ambitious and aims to scale the presence on European territory until reaching a fleet made up of thousands of units in the space of a few years.

The project fits into an increasingly crowded and competitive European landscape. If Uber is already conducting parallel tests in Germany with the company Momenta, the competition is not standing by: Waymo has already planned its debut in London by 2026, while the Volkswagen Group intends to preside over the German market through its subsidiary Moia. However, at the center of the Croatian initiative remains the figure of Mate Rimac, founder of the automotive group of the same name, who last year presented a first fleet of prototypes. It now remains to be understood how Verne’s technology will definitively integrate with Uber’s standards to shape urban mobility in the coming decades.