Zagreb is the first European city where an autonomous ride can be booked through the Uber app. Choosing UberX or Comfort still does not guarantee a robotaxi – and at launch a licensed operator sits behind the wheel.
What actually launched on 19 August
Since 19 August, passengers in Zagreb have been able to receive an autonomous ride through the Uber app. Uber describes Zagreb as the first European city where such a vehicle can be booked through its platform. The main novelty is the additional booking route: the commercial robotaxi service operated by Verne and Pony.ai had already launched on 8 April and was previously accessible through the Verne app.
This is more than a demonstration ride for invited guests, but less than a citywide replacement for conventional taxis. Uber refers to selected key areas including the city centre and a gradual expansion. At the April launch, Pony.ai stated an area of approximately 90 square kilometres in and around the broader centre, including the airport, and daily operation from 7 am to 9 pm. These provider statements may change with deployment planning and are not a timetable promise for an individual journey.
How to try to get a ride
The Uber app does not promise a permanently visible, separate vehicle category. Users request UberX or Comfort. If an autonomous vehicle is available at that moment and suitable for the route, the app displays vehicle information and instructions for starting and completing the ride. If this panel does not appear, allocation of a conventional vehicle is not an error but part of the system.
For travellers, this means that trying the robotaxi requires flexibility. An airport trip, appointment or tightly timed pickup should not depend on an autonomous car being assigned. The airport coverage mentioned by Pony.ai in April does not mean that every address, time slot or luggage arrangement will be served. The specific display in the app remains the current source.
Autonomous does not yet mean driverless here
The key distinction appears in one sentence of the launch announcement: during the introductory phase, a licensed operator sits in the vehicle and monitors the ride from behind the wheel. The vehicle therefore uses autonomous driving technology, but it does not yet operate without a person on board. Fully driverless deployment is announced for a later phase, without Uber giving a binding date in the notice.
The term robotaxi is therefore not wrong, but it must not be equated with an empty driver’s seat. The operator is not decoration; they are part of the current safety and rollout architecture. This assessment changes only when operators and authorities actually approve and publicly describe driverless operation.
Booked autonomously, operator on board
Infographic showing the interaction between Uber, Verne and Pony.ai and the licensed operator in the autonomous vehicle
Three companies share one ride
Pony.ai supplies the autonomous-driving technology for the Gen-7 vehicles. Verne owns and operates the fleet, organises the local service and is responsible for implementation in Zagreb. Uber integrates available vehicles into its dispatch network and gives passengers the booking route in the familiar app. None of these roles alone describes the entire service.
This division also explains why statements from the partners may sound different. Pony.ai discusses vehicle technology and operating area, Verne discusses fleet and operations, and Uber discusses booking and user experience. For a specific ride, the information in the app and the vehicle assigned there are what count; companies’ long-term expansion targets do not guarantee availability today.
What passengers can expect in the car
Uber says that when a vehicle is assigned, the app will show its details and instructions for beginning and ending the ride. Those prompts should not be dismissed: an autonomous vehicle may use different procedures from a conventional taxi, for example in identifying the correct car, boarding or confirming the end of the trip. During the launch phase, the operator provides an additional human interface.
The usual basics still apply: compare the number plate and vehicle details, enter only the car assigned in the app, and reject any unexpected request for payment outside the app. Passengers with particular mobility needs, a child seat or unusually large luggage should check before the ride whether the assigned vehicle is suitable.
Price, waiting time and allocation remain dynamic
The partners’ launch announcements do not publish a separate fixed robotaxi fare. Booking takes place through UberX or Comfort; the app displays the specific price and estimated pickup. This supports neither a permanent price advantage nor a surcharge for autonomous technology. Demand, vehicle supply, route and platform logic may affect the displayed amount.
A successful robotaxi ride in the past also creates no entitlement to the same vehicle next time. Uber expressly expects autonomous vehicles and human drivers to coexist for the foreseeable future. That is more than a transitional phrase: many rides, special requirements and areas will continue to be served by people.
Why Zagreb was chosen
For the providers, Zagreb offers a real European urban operation with narrow historic streets, broad arterial roads, varied neighbourhoods and an airport connection. Pony.ai explicitly describes the city as technically demanding. For Croatia, the launch is also industrial policy: Verne belongs to the Rimac Group environment and takes the role of local operator.
A premiere does not yet show how quickly other cities will follow or how soon the operator will disappear. Uber calls Zagreb a model for additional European markets and intends to announce later cities separately. Until then, only what is already offered in Zagreb is substantiated – not the promotional horizon of a Europe-wide robotaxi fleet.
A sensible test for visitors
Anyone with time can open UberX or Comfort, enter the pickup and destination, and read carefully which vehicle is offered before confirming. A normal time buffer remains necessary for travel to the airport or station. The robotaxi is a possible assignment, not a reservable exhibit or attraction for which travel planning should be distorted.
The most interesting part is precisely how ordinary it is: an autonomous ride is built into a routine booking process. Whether it becomes everyday transport will be shown by availability, reliability, safety and acceptance over many months – not by the first selfie beside the vehicle.
Evidence
Sources & date
Sources support the facts. Planning notes and recommendations are Golden Beach editorial assessments.
- Uber Launches Autonomous Rides in EuropeUber Technologies · 19 August 2026launch through Uber, booking route, selected areas, operator on board and the roles of Uber, Verne and Pony.ai
- Launch of Europe’s First Commercial Robotaxi Service in ZagrebPony.ai · 8 April 2026original service launch, Gen-7 vehicles, daily operating hours and initial service area including the airport
- Zvonimirova (Svibanj 2009)GandalfTheBlack / Wikimedia Commons · photographed 4 June 2009; licence checked 23 August 2026lead and social image of a traffic scene in Zagreb, CC BY 3.0; not a vehicle from the current robotaxi fleet
