Pony.ai Starts Fully Driverless Robotaxi Passenger Tests in Zagreb

Pony AI Inc. and Verne announced on September 10, 2026, the start of fully driverless robotaxi test rides carrying invited passengers on public roads in Zagreb, Croatia, along a 22-kilometer route linking Verne’s headquarters and one of the city’s main business districts with Franjo Tuđman Airport Zagreb.

The companies described the driverless passenger rides as a European first and said the start of testing marks further progress under their joint deployment model. Pony.ai said the fully driverless routes will be expanded over the next few months, with the aim of covering the entire operating area in Zagreb. According to the announcement, the rides are being conducted in accordance with applicable Croatian regulations and the approvals required for autonomous vehicle testing with passengers on public roads.

From Commercial Service to Driverless Testing

The driverless deployment comes just over five months after Pony.ai, Verne and Uber announced their partnership to launch what the companies called Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service. Under the joint deployment model, Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving technology, Verne leads service operations, and Uber offers access to the service through its platform.

The service operated by Verne launched in early April 2026 with an onboard AV operator. Pony.ai reported that the fleet has since 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.

“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 companies said the shift from commercial operations with an onboard AV operator to fully driverless testing 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.

Seventh-Generation Hardware and Safety Architecture

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

Pony.ai said the architecture has been validated through fully driverless commercial operations in major Chinese cities, across complex urban traffic and adverse weather conditions. The company reported that it 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.

Dual-Engine Strategy and Fleet Targets

“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. He said Pony.ai and Verne are demonstrating how the company’s Virtual Driver can combine with Verne’s local operating and passenger-service capabilities to support a scalable path to commercialization, and he described the progress in Zagreb as a foundation for expanding fully driverless mobility across Europe and other international markets.

The announcement places the Zagreb deployment within Pony.ai’s “dual-engine” growth strategy, under which the company is scaling its robotaxi business across both China and international markets. Pony.ai said it expands overseas through the joint deployment model, which brings together autonomous driving technology, access to rider demand and day-to-day fleet operations. The company said the mix of partners can vary by market, allowing the model to adapt to local requirements while supporting what it characterized as a more capital-efficient path to scale.

Pony.ai reported that recent partnerships have expanded its overseas deployment pipeline to more than 4,000 robotaxis, including plans with Uber to deploy more than 2,000 vehicles across Europe. The company said it is targeting a global fleet of more than 3,500 robotaxis by the end of 2026, with operations spanning more than 20 cities worldwide.