A Croatian company, Verne, has launched Europe’s first self-driving taxi service, named Robotaxi, which commenced operations last month with 10 autonomous vehicles in Zagreb, covering a 90-square-kilometer area. This initiative is notable as most large-scale autonomous taxi services have primarily been deployed in the United States and China, marking Verne’s rollout as one of the earliest commercial robotaxi services in Europe. Initially, safety operators are present in the vehicles due to European regulators’ cautious approach to fully driverless operations, as Verne works towards obtaining the necessary approvals for a fully autonomous service.

Verne: Verne is a Croatian autonomous mobility company spun out of electric hypercar maker Rimac Group, focused on building and operating self-driving taxi fleets in European cities. In this news, Verne is the operator behind what it calls Europe’s first commercial self-driving taxi service, running an initial fleet of autonomous vehicles in Zagreb that users can book and pay for via its app and, soon, through Uber.
Robotaxi: Robotaxi refers to Verne’s self-driving taxi service brand, which offers on-demand rides in autonomous vehicles within designated service zones. In this context, Robotaxi is the name used for Verne’s newly launched autonomous ride-hailing service in Zagreb, which is being promoted as Europe’s first commercial self-driving taxi operation.

European_AV_Landscape: Most large-scale autonomous taxi deployments have so far been concentrated in the United States and China, making Verne’s Zagreb rollout one of the earliest commercial robotaxi services in Europe.
Regulation_and_Safety: European regulators have generally taken a cautious approach to fully driverless operations, so early robotaxi services like Verne’s in Zagreb are starting with safety operators on board while they work toward approvals for truly driverless service.
Partnerships_and_Technology: Verne’s Zagreb service uses autonomous driving technology from Pony.ai and is being integrated into the Uber platform, illustrating a model where local operators, global tech providers, and ride-hailing platforms collaborate to launch robotaxis.