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Verne and Pony.ai begin fully driverless test rides with passengers on public roads in zagreb
Verne and Pony.ai begin fully driverless test rides with passengers on public roads in zagreb
4
min read
Invited passengers can take fully driverless robotaxi test rides along a 22-kilometer route, marking a European first This marks an important step toward a future commercial driverless service in Zagreb
ZAGREB, Croatia, September 10, 2026 – Verne and Pony.ai have started fully driverless test rides in Zagreb, with invited passengers travelling without an AV operator or any other personnel onboard.
The rides take place under real road conditions on a 22-kilometre route connecting the Verne headquarters and one of Zagreb’s main business districts with Franjo Tuđman Airport Zagreb.
The milestone comes just over five months after Pony.ai, Verne and Uber announced their partnership to launch Europe’s first commercial Robotaxi service. Under the joint deployment model, Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving technology, Verne leads service operations, and Uber offers access to the service through its platform.
Since Verne launched the commercial service in April, its vehicles have covered more than 200,000 autonomous kilometers. Fully driverless routes will expand further over the coming months, with the aim of covering the entire operating area in Zagreb.
What makes these rides different
For the first time in Europe, invited passengers are taking fully driverless robotaxi test rides on public roads, with no AV operator onboard.
Pony.ai’s autonomous driving system performs the full driving task. Verne’s remote operations team monitors the vehicle but does not drive or control it remotely. The self-driving system makes all driving decisions and controls all vehicle movement autonomously. Supported by Pony.ai’s technology, the robotaxi combines 360-degree sensor coverage with multiple layers of redundancy and a fail-operational design. This safety architecture has been validated through fully driverless commercial operations in major Chinese cities, including in heavy rains, snow and typhoons.
The route connects one of Zagreb’s main business areas with the airport and is used by residents, workers, and visitors every day. It represents a relevant scenario for a future driverless mobility service.
Developing the Verne passenger experience
For these test rides, the vehicle introduces a new interior concept not seen in any autonomous vehicle in operation. The new interior advances Verne’s passenger experience and brings it one step closer to the ultimate vision.
Inside the vehicle used for this phase, the front passenger seat has been removed, creating a more open cabin, additional luggage space and room for a large display. A central console between the rear seats includes a touchscreen for ride management and cabin controls, together with new storage and charging solutions.
The redesigned cabin enhances the passenger experience with more space, greater comfort, and more control over the journey and use of travel time. These rides allow Verne to evaluate fully driverless operation and the redesigned interior together under real operating conditions, while passenger feedback will influence further development.
Verne and Pony.ai’s roles
The test rides are conducted by Verne using the latest generation of Pony.ai’s self-driving system.
Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving system responsible for the driving task, while Verne leads the service platform, fleet operations, passenger experience and remote vehicle supervision.
Together, the companies are validating the technology and operating procedures for future driverless commercial deployment. This validation relates to the current autonomous driving vehicle, while development of Verne’s purpose-built vehicle continues as a separate activity.
Toward public driverless service
Verne’s commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, the first commercial robotaxi service in Europe, has been operating since April. During this period, the service has completed thousands of customer rides, achieved an average passenger rating of 4.7 out of 5 and now covers an operating area of more than 100 square kilometers.
The fully driverless test rides move Verne toward a commercial driverless service. The rides are done in accordance with applicable Croatian regulations and the approvals required for autonomous vehicle prototype testing on public roads.
“Five months ago, we launched Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service. That difference matters: operating a commercial service is fundamentally different from testing, both in terms of regulatory requirements and operational complexity.
We are now taking the next step, moving from autonomous driving with an onboard AV operator towards fully driverless operations. This is a major milestone on the way to scaling autonomous mobility in Europe, and something that has not been achieved here before.
At the same time, we are introducing a completely new vision for the vehicle interior, one designed not as a concept for the distant future, but as something that can work in real service. It will help people use their time in a way that is more productive, more enjoyable, and more relaxing,” said Marko Pejković, CEO of Verne.
“Fully driverless passenger rides in Zagreb mark an important step in Pony.ai’s global expansion, bringing technology proven through commercial operations in China into real-world deployment in Europe,” said Dr. James Peng, Founder and CEO of Pony.ai. “Together with Verne, we are demonstrating how Pony.ai’s Virtual Driver can combine with strong local operations and experience to support a scalable path to commercialization. The progress in Zagreb provides a strong foundation for expanding driverless mobility across Europe and other international markets.”
About Verne
Named after Jules Verne, who imagined journeys enabled by technologies long before they existed, Verne is building the operational layer for autonomous mobility in Europe and beyond. Since 2019, Verne has worked on deploying autonomous ride-hailing in complex urban environments through operations, integration and regulatory enablement, making it part of everyday life. In April 2026, those efforts led to the launch of Europe’s first robotaxi service. At its core, Verne designs how autonomous mobility works and how it feels, keeping the human in mind.
About Pony.ai
Pony AI Inc. is a global leader in achieving large-scale commercialization of autonomous mobility. Leveraging its vehicle-agnostic Virtual Driver technology, a full-stack autonomous driving technology that seamlessly integrates Pony.ai's proprietary software, hardware, and services, Pony.ai is developing a commercially viable and sustainable business model that enables the mass production and deployment of vehicles across transportation use cases. Founded in 2016, Pony.ai has expanded its presence across China, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and other regions.
Press contacts:
Pony.ai: media@pony.ai
Verne: media@verne.team
Invited passengers can take fully driverless robotaxi test rides along a 22-kilometer route, marking a European first This marks an important step toward a future commercial driverless service in Zagreb
ZAGREB, Croatia, September 10, 2026 – Verne and Pony.ai have started fully driverless test rides in Zagreb, with invited passengers travelling without an AV operator or any other personnel onboard.
The rides take place under real road conditions on a 22-kilometre route connecting the Verne headquarters and one of Zagreb’s main business districts with Franjo Tuđman Airport Zagreb.
The milestone comes just over five months after Pony.ai, Verne and Uber announced their partnership to launch Europe’s first commercial Robotaxi service. Under the joint deployment model, Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving technology, Verne leads service operations, and Uber offers access to the service through its platform.
Since Verne launched the commercial service in April, its vehicles have covered more than 200,000 autonomous kilometers. Fully driverless routes will expand further over the coming months, with the aim of covering the entire operating area in Zagreb.
What makes these rides different
For the first time in Europe, invited passengers are taking fully driverless robotaxi test rides on public roads, with no AV operator onboard.
Pony.ai’s autonomous driving system performs the full driving task. Verne’s remote operations team monitors the vehicle but does not drive or control it remotely. The self-driving system makes all driving decisions and controls all vehicle movement autonomously. Supported by Pony.ai’s technology, the robotaxi combines 360-degree sensor coverage with multiple layers of redundancy and a fail-operational design. This safety architecture has been validated through fully driverless commercial operations in major Chinese cities, including in heavy rains, snow and typhoons.
The route connects one of Zagreb’s main business areas with the airport and is used by residents, workers, and visitors every day. It represents a relevant scenario for a future driverless mobility service.
Developing the Verne passenger experience
For these test rides, the vehicle introduces a new interior concept not seen in any autonomous vehicle in operation. The new interior advances Verne’s passenger experience and brings it one step closer to the ultimate vision.
Inside the vehicle used for this phase, the front passenger seat has been removed, creating a more open cabin, additional luggage space and room for a large display. A central console between the rear seats includes a touchscreen for ride management and cabin controls, together with new storage and charging solutions.
The redesigned cabin enhances the passenger experience with more space, greater comfort, and more control over the journey and use of travel time. These rides allow Verne to evaluate fully driverless operation and the redesigned interior together under real operating conditions, while passenger feedback will influence further development.
Verne and Pony.ai’s roles
The test rides are conducted by Verne using the latest generation of Pony.ai’s self-driving system.
Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving system responsible for the driving task, while Verne leads the service platform, fleet operations, passenger experience and remote vehicle supervision.
Together, the companies are validating the technology and operating procedures for future driverless commercial deployment. This validation relates to the current autonomous driving vehicle, while development of Verne’s purpose-built vehicle continues as a separate activity.
Toward public driverless service
Verne’s commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, the first commercial robotaxi service in Europe, has been operating since April. During this period, the service has completed thousands of customer rides, achieved an average passenger rating of 4.7 out of 5 and now covers an operating area of more than 100 square kilometers.
The fully driverless test rides move Verne toward a commercial driverless service. The rides are done in accordance with applicable Croatian regulations and the approvals required for autonomous vehicle prototype testing on public roads.
“Five months ago, we launched Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service. That difference matters: operating a commercial service is fundamentally different from testing, both in terms of regulatory requirements and operational complexity.
We are now taking the next step, moving from autonomous driving with an onboard AV operator towards fully driverless operations. This is a major milestone on the way to scaling autonomous mobility in Europe, and something that has not been achieved here before.
At the same time, we are introducing a completely new vision for the vehicle interior, one designed not as a concept for the distant future, but as something that can work in real service. It will help people use their time in a way that is more productive, more enjoyable, and more relaxing,” said Marko Pejković, CEO of Verne.
“Fully driverless passenger rides in Zagreb mark an important step in Pony.ai’s global expansion, bringing technology proven through commercial operations in China into real-world deployment in Europe,” said Dr. James Peng, Founder and CEO of Pony.ai. “Together with Verne, we are demonstrating how Pony.ai’s Virtual Driver can combine with strong local operations and experience to support a scalable path to commercialization. The progress in Zagreb provides a strong foundation for expanding driverless mobility across Europe and other international markets.”
About Verne
Named after Jules Verne, who imagined journeys enabled by technologies long before they existed, Verne is building the operational layer for autonomous mobility in Europe and beyond. Since 2019, Verne has worked on deploying autonomous ride-hailing in complex urban environments through operations, integration and regulatory enablement, making it part of everyday life. In April 2026, those efforts led to the launch of Europe’s first robotaxi service. At its core, Verne designs how autonomous mobility works and how it feels, keeping the human in mind.
About Pony.ai
Pony AI Inc. is a global leader in achieving large-scale commercialization of autonomous mobility. Leveraging its vehicle-agnostic Virtual Driver technology, a full-stack autonomous driving technology that seamlessly integrates Pony.ai's proprietary software, hardware, and services, Pony.ai is developing a commercially viable and sustainable business model that enables the mass production and deployment of vehicles across transportation use cases. Founded in 2016, Pony.ai has expanded its presence across China, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and other regions.
Press contacts:
Pony.ai: media@pony.ai
Verne: media@verne.team
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