Pony.ai and Verne Kick Off Fully Driverless Robotaxi Test Rides in Zagreb

Pony.ai (PONY) and Verne have begun fully driverless Robotaxi test rides with passengers on public roads in Zagreb, Croatia, along a 22‑kilometer route linking Verne’s headquarters, a main business district and Franjo Tuđman Airport Zagreb.

Rhea-AI Summary

Pony.ai (PONY) and Verne have begun fully driverless Robotaxi test rides with passengers on public roads in Zagreb, Croatia, along a 22‑kilometer route linking Verne’s headquarters, a main business district and Franjo Tuđman Airport Zagreb.

The companies plan to expand fully driverless coverage across Zagreb’s operating area in coming months. The initiative follows their April launch of Europe’s first commercial Robotaxi service with Uber, under which the fleet has logged more than 200,000 kilometers, completed several thousand customer rides and achieved an average rating of 4.7 out of 5. Pony.ai uses its seventh‑generation Robotaxi with an L4 domain controller based on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX and reports more than 100 million autonomous kilometers globally, including over 40 million in fully driverless mode.

Positive

• 200,000+ km driven and several thousand rides completed in Zagreb since April launch
• Average passenger rating of 4.7/5 for the Zagreb Robotaxi service
• Pony.ai reports 100 million+ km in autonomous operations worldwide
• Over 40 million km already driven in fully driverless mode globally
• Overseas deployment pipeline exceeds 4,000 Robotaxis, including 2,000+ planned with Uber in Europe
• Targeting a global fleet of 3,500+ Robotaxis in more than 20 cities by end of 2026

Negative

• None.

Market Context

The Aug 19 Zagreb launch produced a 1.1% 24-hour gain; this announcement marked the disclosed progre...

Analysis

The Aug 19 Zagreb launch produced a 1.1% 24-hour gain; this announcement marked the disclosed progression from onboard-operator service to fully driverless passenger testing.

Key Figures

Test route: 22 kilometers Verne operational distance: More than 200,000 kilometers Average passenger rating: 4.7 out of 5 +5 more

Test route

22 kilometers

Zagreb route linking Verne's headquarters, a business district, and the airport

Verne operational distance

More than 200,000 kilometers

Since the service launched in early April

Average passenger rating

4.7 out of 5

Verne-operated service

Global autonomous operations

More than 100 million kilometers

Pony.ai worldwide operations

Fully driverless distance

Over 40 million kilometers

Worldwide fully driverless operations

Overseas deployment pipeline

More than 4,000 Robotaxis

Recent international partnerships

European deployment plan

More than 2,000 vehicles

Plans with Uber across Europe

Global fleet target

More than 3,500 Robotaxis

Target by the end of 2026

Key Terms

domain controller, fail-operational

2 terms

domain controller technical

"Pony.ai-developed L4 domain controller built on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX"

A domain controller is a central computer server that stores and network’s user accounts, passwords and security rules and enforces who can access which systems and files—think of it as a building manager who checks IDs and opens doors. Investors should care because if this control point fails or is breached it can disrupt operations, expose sensitive data, harm customer trust, and create regulatory or recovery costs that affect a company's financial health.

fail-operational technical

"multiple layers of redundancy and fail-operational capabilities"

Fail-operational describes a system designed to keep functioning safely even after one or more components fail, rather than shutting down completely. For investors, it signals technical resilience and lower risk of costly downtime or recalls, because products or services built this way are less likely to stop working after a fault—think of a car that can still be driven on a backup motor until repairs are made.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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• Invited passengers can take fully driverless Robotaxi test rides along a 22-kilometer route, marking a European first
• The move marks further progress under Pony.ai's joint deployment model and advances its "dual-engine" growth strategy and commercialization roadmap in Europe

ZAGREB, Croatia, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pony AI Inc. ("Pony.ai") (NASDAQ: PONY; HKEX: 2026), a global leader in the large-scale commercialization of autonomous driving technology, and Verne today announced the start of fully driverless Robotaxi test rides with passengers on public roads in Zagreb, marking a European first. The milestone represents a significant step toward fully driverless commercial operations.

The test rides take place along a 22-kilometer route linking Verne's headquarters and one of Zagreb's main business districts with Franjo Tuđman Airport Zagreb. The fully driverless routes will be further expanded in the next few months, with the aim to cover the whole operating area in Zagreb.

The milestone comes just over five months after Pony.ai, Verne and Uber announced their partnership to launch Europe's first commercial Robotaxi service. Under the joint deployment model, Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving technology, Verne leads the service operations, and Uber offers access to the service through its platform. Since the service operated by Verne was launched in early April, the fleet has logged more than 200,000 kilometers in operations, completed several thousand customer rides and achieved an average passenger rating of 4.7 out of 5.

Moving from commercial operations with an onboard AV operator to fully driverless testing represents an important step for both Pony.ai and Verne. It demonstrates Pony.ai's ability to apply technology and operational experience from its fully driverless commercial services in China to real-world deployment in Europe, supported by Verne's operational readiness and work to meet regulatory requirements.

"Fully driverless passenger rides in Zagreb mark an important step in Pony.ai's international growth," said Dr. James Peng, Founder and CEO of Pony.ai. "Together with Verne, we are demonstrating how Pony.ai's Virtual Driver can combine with Verne's local operating and passenger-service capabilities to support a scalable path to commercialization. The progress in Zagreb provides a strong foundation for expanding fully driverless mobility across Europe and other international markets."

"Five months ago, we launched Europe's first commercial Robotaxi service. We are now taking the next step, moving from autonomous driving with an onboard AV operator toward fully driverless operations," said Marko Pejković, CEO of Verne. "This is a major milestone on the path to scaling autonomous mobility in Europe."

The test rides use Pony.ai's seventh-generation Robotaxi, powered by a Pony.ai-developed L4 domain controller built on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX, running on the safety-certified DriveOS operating system. The Robotaxi features a safety architecture combining 360-degree sensor coverage with multiple layers of redundancy and fail-operational capabilities. This architecture has been validated through fully driverless commercial operations in major Chinese cities across complex urban traffic and adverse weather conditions. Pony.ai currently operates fully driverless commercial services in four major Chinese cities and has logged more than 100 million kilometers in autonomous operations worldwide, including over 40 million kilometers in fully driverless mode.

The fully driverless rides in Zagreb are being conducted in accordance with applicable Croatian regulations and the approvals required for autonomous vehicle testing with passengers on public roads.

The milestone further advances Pony.ai's "dual-engine" growth strategy, under which the company is scaling its Robotaxi business across both China and international markets. Overseas, Pony.ai is expanding through its joint deployment model, which brings together autonomous driving technology, access to rider demand and day-to-day fleet operations. The mix of partners can vary by market, allowing the model to adapt to local requirements while supporting a more capital-efficient path to scale. Recent partnerships have expanded Pony.ai's overseas deployment pipeline to more than 4,000 Robotaxis, including plans with Uber to deploy more than 2,000 vehicles across Europe. Pony.ai is targeting a global fleet of more than 3,500 Robotaxis by the end of 2026, with operations spanning more than 20 cities worldwide.

About Pony.ai

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.

About Verne

Named after Jules Verne, who imagined journeys enabled by technologies long before they existed, Verne is building the operational layer for autonomous mobility in Europe and beyond. Since 2019, Verne has worked on deploying autonomous ride-hailing in complex urban environments through operations, integration and regulatory enablement, making it part of everyday life. In April 2026, those efforts led to the launch of Europe's first robotaxi service. At its core, Verne designs how autonomous mobility works and how it feels, keeping the human in mind.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ponyai-and-verne-kick-off-fully-driverless-robotaxi-test-rides-in-zagreb-302874840.html

SOURCE Pony AI Inc.

FAQ

Where are the fully driverless Robotaxi test rides operating in Zagreb?

The fully driverless test rides run along a 22‑kilometer route that links Verne’s headquarters and one of Zagreb’s main business districts with Franjo Tuđman Airport Zagreb, with plans to expand to the whole operating area in Zagreb.

How is the partnership between Pony.ai, Verne and Uber structured?

Under the joint deployment model, Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving technology, Verne leads day‑to‑day service operations, and Uber provides access to the service through its platform.

What technology and safety features do Pony.ai’s Robotaxis in Zagreb use?

The test rides use Pony.ai’s seventh‑generation Robotaxi, powered by a Pony.ai‑developed L4 domain controller built on NVIDIA DRIVE AGX running the safety‑certified DriveOS operating system. The vehicles have 360‑degree sensor coverage with multiple layers of redundancy and fail‑operational capabilities.

Are the fully driverless rides in Zagreb operating under regulatory approvals?

Yes. The fully driverless rides in Zagreb are conducted in accordance with applicable Croatian regulations and the required approvals for autonomous vehicle testing with passengers on public roads.