Europe's first commercial robotaxi service isn't launching where you'd expect

Mate Rimac's autonomous ride hailing company, which is called Verne after Jules Verne, has just announced that it's working together with Uber and Pony.ai to launch Europe's first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, Croatia.

The deployment in Zagreb is already underway and the official launch is going to take place "soon". The service will use Pony.ai's Gen-7 autonomous driving system installed onto the Arcfox Alpha T5 Robotaxi. Arcfox is one of the brands of Beijing Automotive Group, better known as BAIC.

Verne will act "as fleet owner and service operator", according to the official press release, while Uber will integrate the service into its ride-hailing app. You can currently join the waiting list on Verne's website.

Verne will also have its own customer-facing platform too, and it will "lead the process of ensuring market readiness and obtaining European regulatory approval" for the service, ensuring "consistent performance, safety, and experience".

The trio plans to scale to a fleet of "thousands" of robotaxis over the next few years. As part of the partnership, Uber plans to invest in Verne and support its future expansion as a strategic partner.