Uber and Pony.ai Set to Debut Europe’s First Commercial Robotaxi Service in Croatia

The collaboration establishes a tripartite operational model where Pony.ai provides the 'Virtual Driver' autonomous software, Verne serves as the fleet owner and operator, and Uber acts as the primary demand aggregator. This move follows Uber’s broader strategy of pivoting from in-house hardware development to becoming the essential platform for third-party autonomous vehicle (AV) providers. As part of the agreement, Uber has committed to a strategic investment in Verne to support the scaling of a fleet expected to reach thousands of vehicles across Europe in the coming years.

For investors, the partnership highlights Uber’s efforts to defend its market share against emerging autonomous competitors while maintaining an asset-light balance sheet. While Uber’s stock (UBER) rose 1.02% to $73.08 following the announcement, the equity has faced a challenging year, down 10.56% year-to-date. Despite this volatility, Wall Street remains optimistic about Uber's long-term integration of AVs, with an average analyst price target of $105.00, representing a potential upside of over 43% from current levels.

The choice of Zagreb as a launchpad is strategic, as Verne—a company with roots in the European EV ecosystem—is leading the effort to secure regulatory approvals within the European Union. Initial testing and public-road validation are already underway using the Arcfox Alpha T5 Robotaxi. This deployment is particularly significant as Pony.ai recently reported achieving unit economics breakeven in major Chinese markets like Guangzhou and Shenzhen, suggesting the technology is nearing financial viability for large-scale international rollout.

This European expansion comes as the global robotaxi race intensifies. While competitors like Waymo have focused heavily on North American expansion, the Uber-Pony.ai-Verne alliance seeks to capture the European market by navigating the continent’s complex regulatory landscape early. By integrating these services directly into the Uber app, the partners aim to bypass the high customer acquisition costs that often plague standalone autonomous mobility platforms.