Rimac unveils autonomous taxi service Verne

Croatian high-end electric carmaker Mate Rimac unveiled on Wednesday his company's driverless taxi service, Verne, that is supposed begin operating in Zagreb in 2026. 

However, the presentation at the company's Kerestinec campus hit a major snag when the car Rimac hailed through the Verne app failed to arrive on stage due to a mechanical error.

"Of course this happens now. That's the presentation effect. We did it many times but now there seems to be a little problem. Let us go on and the team will figure it out,” said Rimac.

The Verne robotaxi is a sleek hatchback that seats two because the company found most taxi rides are used by one or two people. It has a central ride-hailing smartphone app and a "Mothership" headquarters where the cars return to be charged, cleaned, and serviced.

"We have the dimensions of a relatively small car but with some features of a much larger vehicle. It has a certain number of operational hours daily and must last the day without recharging. It has a 60kw/hour battery that is enough to cover 14 hours of city driving, which is more than enough for us,” said Rimac.

Car designer and one of Verne's founders, Adriano Mudri, said the car was made to maximize legroom for riders.

"You have the maximum space possible within these dimensions while keeping the vehicle safe on all sides,” said Mudri.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was among the guests at the presentation.

"I think the environmental impact is clear and we are also going to make a significant contribution to Croatia's digital transformation, which is one of our goals,” said Plenković.

Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said he was pleased that the company has pledged to keep its production line in the Zagreb area.

Verne, which is named after the French author Jules Verne, already has deals with 11 other cities in the EU, the UK and the Middle East.