On-road testing in Croatia’s capital is already underway using Pony.ai’s Gen-7 system on the Arcfox Alpha T5, a Chinese-manufactured robotaxi. Uber intends to invest in Verne. The three companies plan to scale to thousands of vehicles across Europe, but have declined to announce a commercial launch date.

Mate Rimac built his reputation making electric hypercars that cost more than two million dollars and accelerate fast enough to cause physical discomfort. His latest project is a taxi.

Verne , the Croatian startup he co-founded alongside CEO Marko Pejkovic, is designed around the opposite principle: a purpose-built two-seat electric pod with no steering wheel, no pedals, and legroom its creators compare to the back of a Rolls-Royce, intended to be cheaper than Uber or Bolt.

That vehicle is not yet on public roads.…