Key Highlights
- A collaboration between Uber, Pony.ai, and Verne brings Europe’s inaugural commercial robo-taxi service to Zagreb, Croatia.
- Road testing has commenced featuring Pony.ai’s Gen-7 autonomous driving technology installed in the Arcfox Alpha T5 Robotaxi.
- Verne assumes ownership and operational control of the fleet while managing European regulatory compliance, with Uber providing platform integration.
- Uber plans to make a strategic investment in Verne as part of the collaborative agreement.
- Pony.ai shares declined 12.2% to $10.00 on Thursday, pressured by Q4 profit margins that fell short of analyst forecasts.
Uber Technologies has rolled out Europe’s inaugural commercial robo-taxi service, scheduled to commence operations in Zagreb, Croatia. The initiative represents a tripartite collaboration involving Uber, Chinese autonomous driving developer Pony.ai, and Croatian technology startup Verne.
Verne — taking its name from renowned French author Jules Verne — will maintain ownership of the vehicle fleet and oversee operational logistics. The company will spearhead efforts to obtain European regulatory clearances and manage deployment across both its proprietary application and Uber’s established platform.
Pony.ai provides the technological foundation. The company’s Gen-7 autonomous driving platform will enable the service, operating on the Arcfox Alpha T5 Robotaxi — a vehicle manufactured by Chinese automaker BAIC incorporating Huawei technology.
Road testing throughout Zagreb has commenced, with revenue-generating rides anticipated to launch in the near future.
Uber will incorporate the service into its worldwide ride-hailing network alongside Verne’s dedicated consumer application. Uber is making a strategic investment in Verne as well, facilitating its upcoming growth initiatives.
The three partners have outlined objectives to expand to thousands of robo-taxis operating in Zagreb and subsequently extend operations to additional European metropolitan areas and territories.
Market Response to the Announcement
Despite the significant development, Uber stock declined 1.3% to $72.14 on Thursday. Pony.ai experienced a steeper drop — declining 12.2% to $10.00 — following the release of Q4 financial results that revealed gross profit margins slightly beneath Wall Street projections. Revenue reached $29.1 million, marginally surpassing the $28.6 million consensus estimate, but failed to counterbalance the margin shortfall.
The subdued investor response to Uber reflects a marketplace increasingly accustomed to autonomous vehicle partnership disclosures. Uber has established relationships with approximately two dozen autonomous vehicle enterprises across robo-taxis, freight hauling, delivery robotics, and aerial drones.
Pony.ai’s Financial Trajectory
Pony.ai completed its public offering in 2024, setting the IPO price at $13 per share. Current trading levels sit considerably beneath that initial valuation. Throughout 2025, the company generated $90 million in revenue while recording an operating loss approaching $284 million.
Analyst projections anticipate 2026 revenue reaching $151 million, with the company aiming for positive operating profitability by 2029. At that juncture, forecasts suggest annual revenue could climb to $1.7 billion — a figure requiring fleet expansion from several hundred vehicles to many thousands.
Pony.ai currently runs commercial robo-taxi operations in Beijing and Shanghai, positioning itself alongside Alphabet’s Waymo and Tesla in the worldwide autonomous vehicle competition.
European markets have trailed the United States and China regarding robo-taxi implementation, with most European services remaining in experimental phases. Waymo presently maintains operations throughout 10 American metropolitan areas.
