en.Wedoany.com Reported - On August 13, Chinese autonomous driving company Pony.ai and global mobility platform Uber expanded their partnership in the European market, planning to deploy over 2,000 Robotaxis across five European cities.
The first commercial deployment project for the two parties in Europe is located in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. On April 8, Pony.ai, together with Uber and local autonomous mobility service provider Verne, launched commercial Robotaxi operations covering an area of approximately 90 square kilometers, encompassing Zagreb's main urban areas and Zagreb Airport, with operating hours from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily.
The Zagreb project utilizes the BAIC Arcfox Alpha T5 Robotaxi equipped with Pony.ai's seventh-generation autonomous driving system. Under the partnership model, Pony.ai provides the autonomous driving system, vehicle platform adaptation, and commercial operation expertise, Verne is responsible for fleet ownership, daily operations, market access, and regulatory coordination, while Uber integrates the Robotaxi service into its global ride-hailing platform.
Local passengers can currently book and pay for Robotaxi trips through the Verne application, and the service will also be integrated into the Uber application. Entry into other European cities will still require vehicle certification, public road testing, operating license applications, and the establishment of local fleet service systems.
Pony.ai plans to deploy more than 3,000 Robotaxis in over 20 cities globally by the end of 2026. Its seventh-generation system has already undergone commercial operation validation in Chinese cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen, with the material cost of the autonomous driving suite reduced by approximately 70% compared to the previous generation, providing a mass-production foundation for expanding the overseas fleet scale.
The deployment target of over 2,000 Robotaxis across five European cities will shift the partnership from single-city commercial operations to cross-city fleet development. Potential supporting components include Robotaxi vehicles, LiDAR and cameras, automotive-grade computing platforms, charging and battery-swapping infrastructure, remote dispatch systems, data compliance facilities, and vehicle inspection and maintenance services. Relevant procurement arrangements will be gradually released as project entities and operational plans for each city are finalized.
