Croatia, 20 August 2026– Autonomous rides are now available through the Uber app in Zagreb, marking the first time passengers in Europe can book a self-driving vehicle through the global ride-hailing platform
The new service brings together Uber, <a href="https://zagreb.today/croatian-wines-score-superb-points-in-wine-enthusiast/” title=”Croatian wines score superb points in Wine Enthusiast”>Croatian robotaxi company Verne and autonomous driving technology firm Pony.ai, with rides initially available across key parts of Zagreb, including the city centre.
At launch, the autonomous vehicles will operate with a licensed safety operator on board, monitoring the vehicle from behind the wheel. The service is expected to expand geographically as the companies work towards fully driverless operations.
Under the partnership, Pony.ai provides its autonomous driving technology, while Verne is the fleet owner and service operator. Uber integrates the vehicles into its ride-hailing platform, allowing customers to request an autonomous ride through its app.
The launch follows a partnership announced in March and moves the project from development and testing into commercial deployment on Uber.
Verne, which launched what it described as Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb in April, said it had completed thousands of autonomous journeys in the city since then.
“This marks another European first – the first time autonomous rides are available through Uber in Europe,” said Verne CEO Marko Pejkovic.
Zagreb is the first market under the partnership, with the companies planning to expand the model to other European cities. Further markets are expected to be announced later this year.
Passengers can request the service by selecting UberX or Comfort in the Uber app. If an autonomous vehicle is available, the app will provide information about the vehicle and instructions for the journey.
Uber said autonomous vehicles would initially operate alongside human-driven vehicles, with many journeys continuing to be served by conventional drivers.
The companies said the service would expand gradually in line with regulatory requirements and safety standards as they work towards fully driverless operations.
Source: www.croatiaweek.com
