Uber has begun offering autonomous rides in Zagreb, making the Croatian capital the first European market where riders can book an autonomous vehicle (AV) directly through the Uber app. Coverage spans key areas of the city, including the city center, with service availability and geographic reach set to widen over time. The service runs on Pony.ai’s autonomous driving system, with Verne acting as fleet owner and service operator and Uber handling booking, payment, and the in-app rider experience.
Highlights
- First European market: Zagreb is the first city where riders can hail an AV through the Uber app.
- Supervised phase: A licensed operator sits behind the wheel monitoring each trip during the phased introduction, ahead of fully driverless operation.
- Three-way structure: Pony.ai supplies the autonomous driving solution, Verne owns and operates the fleet, and Uber integrates the service into its ride-hailing network.
- Booking path: Riders request UberX or Comfort; when an AV is assigned, the app supplies vehicle details and instructions for starting and completing the trip.
How Do Riders Book an Autonomous Vehicle in Zagreb?
Riders open the Uber app and request either UberX or Comfort. When an autonomous vehicle is available for the trip, the app provides information about the vehicle along with instructions for starting and completing the ride. The service currently covers key areas of Zagreb, including the city center, and the companies say both availability and geographic coverage will expand over time.
At launch, a licensed operator remains on board monitoring from behind the wheel. Uber describes this as a phased introduction that precedes fully driverless operation at an unspecified future point.
A Three-Company Operating Model
The deployment combines Pony.ai’s autonomous driving technology, Verne’s service ecosystem and operational framework, and Uber’s mobility platform. Under the arrangement, Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving solution, Verne serves as fleet owner and service operator, and Uber integrates the service into its ride-hailing network and delivers the rider experience through its app. The launch builds on a partnership the three companies announced in March, moving the arrangement from development and testing into commercial deployment on Uber.
“Today marks a major milestone for autonomous mobility in Europe,” said Annie Duvnjak, Global Head of Autonomous Mobility Operations at Uber. “By bringing together Pony.ai’s proven autonomous-driving technology, Verne’s operational expertise and Uber’s global platform, we’re making it simple for riders to access autonomous rides through the Uber app. Zagreb is an important first step as we work to bring AVs to millions of riders and build the world’s largest platform for AV deployment.”
Marko Pejkovic, CEO of Verne, framed the addition of Uber as a second access channel for a service already running daily.
“Verne launched Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb in April. Since then, we have completed thousands of autonomous rides, operating every day and learning from real customers in a real European city. From today, Verne rides are also available through Uber, giving customers another way to access the service. This marks another European first — the first time autonomous rides are available through Uber in Europe,” said Pejkovic. “This is an important milestone not only for Verne, but also for Croatia. A service pioneered here in Zagreb is now available through the world’s largest mobility platform. The experience we are gaining every day in Zagreb will help us bring Verne to other European cities.”
Dr. James Peng, Founder and CEO of Pony.ai, positioned the launch as validation of the joint-deployment structure.
“Bringing Zagreb’s Robotaxi service onto the Uber platform is an important next step in making autonomous mobility more accessible to riders,” said Peng. “This milestone is also a strong example of the joint deployment model in action, bringing together Pony.ai’s Gen-7 Robotaxi technology, Verne’s local operating capabilities and Uber’s platform and rider reach to create a viable path for scaling autonomous mobility. We look forward to expanding the service in Zagreb and progressing toward fully driverless operations.”
Safety Requirements and the Path to Driverless
Uber says all autonomous vehicles must meet applicable regulatory requirements and the company’s own safety standards before operating on the platform. The service is set to expand gradually as the partners work toward fully autonomous operation.
The company also expects autonomous vehicles and human drivers to operate alongside one another for the foreseeable future, with many trips continuing to require human drivers while AVs broaden the range of options available to riders.
Which Markets Come Next?
Zagreb is the first market to launch under the partnership, and the companies describe it as a template they intend to scale to additional European cities. Details on the next markets are expected later this year.
