Ride-hailing app Uber has partnered with Chinese robotaxi company Pony AI to offer driverless rides in Croatia.
The two companies have already started trialling driverless cars in the Croation capital of Zagreb together with local start-up Verne, and plan to launch the service “soon”.
Under partnership, Pony AI will provide its autonomous driving solution, Verne will act as fleet owner and service operator in Zagreb and Uber will integrate the service into its global ride-hailing network, the companies said in a joint statement on Thursday (26 March).
The robotaxis will first be offered on Verne’s own customer-facing platform app, before being made available on Uber’s service.
Pony AI's Gen-7 autonomous driving system is currently being tested on the Arcfox Alpha T5 Robotaxi, while “preparations are underway” for fare-charging services, the companies said.
Following the Zagreb launch, the companies expect to expand services to additional European cities, with plans “to scale to a fleet of thousands of robotaxis over the next few years”.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said: “Through a strong ecosystem of partnerships, autonomous mobility can both scale globally and more effectively. By bringing together Pony AI’s proven autonomous driving technology, Verne’s operational and market expertise, and Uber’s global platform, we’re taking an important step toward making autonomous ride-hailing available to more riders in more places.”
The move supports Uber’s continued investment in autonomous mobility, after the company last month announced plans to launch autonomous rides in 15 markets by year-end.
On Thursday, Pony AI also released unaudited financial results for Q4 2025, where it reported a 160 per cent year-on-year increase in robotaxi revenues to US$6.7 million.