Pony AI Inc. and Verne have begun fully driverless robotaxi test rides with passengers on public roads in Zagreb, Croatia, in what the companies describe as a European first1,4.
The tests run along a 22-kilometer route connecting Verne's headquarters and a major Zagreb business district with Franjo Tuđman Airport. The companies plan to expand the driverless operating area across Zagreb in the coming months.
The milestone builds on the trio's earlier deployment. On August 20, 2026, Uber, Pony AI Inc., and Verne launched autonomous rides in Zagreb with safety operators aboard, making the Croatian capital the first European city where riders could book a self-driving vehicle through the Uber app[3]. The current tests remove the human backup entirely, advancing the service to fully driverless operation.
Under the joint deployment model, Pony AI Inc. provides the autonomous-driving technology, Verne operates the service, and Uber supplies its ride-hailing platform. The partnership is oriented toward launching commercial robotaxi services in Europe.
The Zagreb driverless tests arrive days after a separate European regulatory milestone: Spain's Directorate-General for Traffic granted WeRide, Uber, and operator Avomo the country's first national permit for Level 4 autonomous passenger vehicles in Madrid[2]. ANALYSIS Uber now anchors two distinct autonomous-vehicle partnerships advancing on European public roads within the same month, one in Croatia and one in Spain, each with a different AV technology provider.