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Uber begins autonomous rides in Zagreb with Verne and Pony.ai
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Business/The Apex Times/Aug 19, 2:25 PM EDT

Uber begins autonomous rides in Zagreb with Verne and Pony.ai

Uber said autonomous rides are now available on its app in Zagreb, Croatia, as it expands partnerships with robotics and self-driving technology providers.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) said it has started offering autonomous rides on the Uber app in Zagreb, Croatia, a move it framed as the next step in bringing driverless technology into everyday transportation in Europe.

In its announcement dated August 19, 2026, Uber said the service launch in Zagreb involves two partners, Verne and Pony AI Inc.. trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker PONY and on the HKEX as 2026, according to the same release.

The company did not provide additional operational details in the available post beyond the launch location and the fact that rides are now accessible through Uber’s app. It also did not specify the scope of availability, including whether the service is limited to designated corridors, time windows, or a pilot fleet size.

Autonomous ride-hailing has been a high-stakes test for the industry because it depends on a chain of capabilities, including mapping, sensor perception, fleet operations, and safety monitoring. By placing the service inside a consumer booking application, Uber is also betting that riders will accept autonomous vehicles as part of mainstream mobility rather than as a standalone pilot experience.

For partners, the announcement indicates real-world deployment and integration work. Verne and ’s involvement points to a model in which specialized autonomy providers collaborate with platform operators that control the customer interface, demand routing, and ride operations.

In the broader Autos and Transport sector, Uber’s expansion into a second European city underscores competition among mobility platforms and autonomy vendors. The market focus has increasingly shifted from demos to repeatable service operations, including how quickly deployments can scale and how reliability is managed under varying urban conditions.

A key caveat is that the announcement, as provided in the available material, does not disclose performance metrics or safety outcomes, such as disengagement rates, operational reliability targets, or incident reporting standards. It also does not state whether Uber will expand beyond Zagreb or how long the initial rollout is expected to run.

Investors and customers will likely watch for follow-on disclosures that clarify how the service is staged, whether Uber adds additional areas within Zagreb, and whether Uber and its partners publish results from the operational pilot, including rider demand, system uptime, and practical limitations that emerge once autonomous rides move from controlled trials to public use.

Why It Matters

  • A consumer-facing rollout can be a meaningful benchmark for whether autonomous ride-hailing is ready to move beyond limited trials.
  • Uber’s use of named autonomy partners suggests continued platform-based integration, where autonomy vendors provide technology and Uber manages the ride service layer.
  • The Zagreb launch may add pressure to competitors seeking to demonstrate operational autonomy in major cities, not just demonstrations.
  • Without disclosed metrics, the market may need additional updates to judge safety, reliability, and scalability.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Uber said it launched autonomous rides on the Uber app in Zagreb, Croatia, on August 19, 2026.
  • Uber’s announcement named Verne and Pony AI Inc. as partners in the Zagreb deployment.
  • is identified in the announcement as trading on the Nasdaq as PONY and on the HKEX as 2026.
  • The available material did not specify the scale of the pilot, geographic coverage within Zagreb, or any performance and safety metrics.

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