- Members of the public can now book rides through the Verne app in Zagreb, Croatia, with Uber app integration to follow
- The launch marks a new milestone in Pony.ai's dual-engine growth strategy
ZAGREB, Croatia, April 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pony AI Inc. ("Pony.ai") (NASDAQ: PONY; HKEX: 2026), a global leader in the large-scale commercialization of autonomous driving technology, today announced that its robotaxi program in partnership with Verne and Uber has officially begun commercial service in Zagreb, Croatia, marking Europe's first commercial robotaxi service.
Beginning today, members of the public can book and pay for Pony.ai-powered robotaxi rides through the Verne app. The service will soon also be available through the Uber app. The initial service zone covers key districts of the Croatian capital, with plans to expand coverage across the city. Operating daily from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., the service initially spans approximately 90 square kilometers across the wider Zagreb city center area, including Zagreb Airport.
The service launch comes two weeks after Pony.ai, Verne and Uber announced their partnership to introduce robotaxis in Europe. For Pony.ai, the launch represents an important advancement in the company's dual-engine growth strategy, extending its commercial robotaxi footprint into Europe and building on its latest momentum in scaling robotaxi operations across domestic and international markets. It follows Pony.ai's recent Gen-7 unit economics ("UE") breakeven milestones in two of China's tier-one cities, validating the commercial readiness of its technology and business model.
"This launch marks an important milestone for Pony.ai as we continue to expand our commercial robotaxi operations globally," said Dr. James Peng, Founder and CEO of Pony.ai. "As we advance our dual-engine growth strategy, Zagreb represents both our first commercial robotaxi service in Europe and a meaningful validation of our Gen-7 robotaxi capabilities in a new market. Together with strong partners, we are building a scalable path to bring safe, reliable, and accessible autonomous mobility to more users around the world."
"For the first time in Europe, there is a real commercial robotaxi service. People can use it and take real autonomous rides," said Marko Pejkovic, Co-Founder and CEO of Verne. "We said we would launch in Zagreb in 2026. Today, we did. This is just the start."
For Pony.ai, the commercial service rollout in Zagreb demonstrates the adaptability of its autonomous driving solution across diverse regulatory and operating environments. The swift service launch also underscores the efficiency of Pony.ai's joint-deployment model, under which Pony.ai contributes its proven robotaxi platform and operational know-how, while partners such as Verne lead local operations, market readiness, and regulatory execution.
As Pony.ai continues to expand its robotaxi business, the company expects its dual-engine strategy and joint-deployment model to continue driving fleet growth and supporting its goal of reaching 3,000 vehicles in its fleet by the end of this year.
About Pony AI Inc.
Pony AI Inc. is a global leader in achieving large-scale commercialization of autonomous mobility. Leveraging its vehicle-agnostic Virtual Driver technology, a full-stack autonomous driving technology that seamlessly integrates Pony.ai's proprietary software, hardware, and services, Pony.ai is developing a commercially viable and sustainable business model that enables the mass production and deployment of vehicles across transportation use cases. Founded in 2016, Pony.ai has expanded its presence across China, Europe, East Asia, the Middle East and other regions, ensuring widespread accessibility to its advanced technology.
Contacts
Pony.ai: media@pony.ai
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