Verne, an autonomous ride-hailing startup backed by Rimac, has launched fully driverless passenger testing on public roads in Zagreb, Croatia. This marks the first such operation in Europe, conducted in collaboration with Pony.ai.
The test route spans 22 km, connecting the Verne headquarters, the city center business district, and Zagreb Airport. Users can access the service through the Uber application. The vehicle performs all driving maneuvers, including steering, braking, and acceleration, autonomously while being monitored remotely.
The fleet utilizes modified Arcfox Alpha T5 electric crossovers. Engineers removed the front passenger seat to increase luggage capacity and added a large display screen in the rear for navigation, entertainment, and gaming. This configuration also provides additional legroom for passengers.
Previously, in April, the companies launched a commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb that required human safety operators on board. The transition to fully driverless operations follows industry trends seen in the United States, where companies like Waymo and Tesla have moved toward removing human supervisors.
Verne is also developing a dedicated autonomous vehicle concept featuring sliding doors, a panoramic sunroof, and a cinema-style display. While this model shares design goals with the Tesla Cybercab, the company confirmed that it remains in the development phase.
