Pony.ai launches Europe’s first commercial robotaxis service in Zagreb, propels global expansion

• In Zagreb, Croatia, the public can now book rides through the Verne app, which will later integrate the Uber app

• This announcement marks another milestone in Pony.ai’s dual-engine growth strategy

Pony AI Inc., a global leader in the large-scale commercialization of self-driving technology, announced that its robotaxi program in partnership with Verne and Uber has officially launched commercial service in Zagreb, Croatia, launching Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service.

Starting today, the public will be able to book and pay for Pony.ai-powered robotaxis through the Verne app. The service will also be available through the Uber app soon. The initial service zone covers the main districts of the Croatian capital and plans are to expand the service area to cover the entire city. Operating daily from 7am to 9pm, the initial service area will cover a wide area of ​​Zagreb city center, approximately 90 square kilometers, including Zagreb Airport.

The launch of the service comes two weeks after Pony.ai, Verne and Uber announced a partnership to bring robotaxis to Europe. For Pony.ai, this announcement represents a significant step forward in the company’s dual-engine growth strategy, expanding its commercial robotaxi footprint into Europe and building on its latest momentum to expand its robotaxi business across domestic and international markets. This follows Pony.ai’s recent achievement of 7th Generation Unit Economics (“UE”) break-even milestones in two Tier 1 cities in China, validating the commercial readiness of the company’s technology and business model.

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“This launch marks an important milestone for Pony.ai as we continue to expand our commercial robotaxis business globally,” said Dr. James Penn., Founder and CEO of Pony.ai. “As we advance our dual-engine growth strategy, Zagreb represents both Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service and meaningful validation of our 7th generation robotaxi capabilities in new markets. Together with our strong partners, we are building a scalable path to bring safe, reliable and accessible self-driving mobility to more users around the world.”

“For the first time in Europe, we have a full-fledged commercial robotaxi service that people can use to take a real self-driving ride,” said Marko Pejkovic, co-founder and CEO of Verne. “We said we would start operations in Zagreb in 2026 and today we have done just that. This is just the beginning.”

For Pony.ai, the deployment of commercial services in Zagreb demonstrates the adaptability of self-driving solutions in diverse regulatory and operational environments. The rapid launch also highlights the efficiency of Pony.ai’s co-deployment model, in which Pony.ai provides its proven robotaxi platform and operational know-how, while partners such as Verne lead local operations, market readiness, and regulatory enforcement.

As Pony.ai continues to expand its robo-taxi business, it expects its twin-engine strategy and co-deployment model to continue to drive fleet growth and support its goal of reaching 3,000 vehicles by the end of this year.