On the campus in Kerestinac near Zagreb, Mate Rimac presented the robotaxis that will bear the name Verne.

Rimac said it was incredible what they have achieved in the last 15 years. “It was unimaginable that we in Croatia would be the first to produce the most powerful electric car and that the most powerful hypercars would be made in Croatia. We have attracted over a billion euros in investment and created 2,000 jobs. We have done a lot and have come a long way. We are not perfect, there have been mistakes. But this is our biggest step,” he said.

“Technology has changed our lives. Everyone has access to the internet, whether you are a millionaire or a teenager. But the millionaires have more mobility, they have a private drivers they can rely on. Many others do not have that experience. We want to give everyone the safest experience, a better experience than a millionaire with a private driver,” he added.

Technical problems

“We are developing a three-part ecosystem: the first is, of course, the car. The second is the application, and the third is the infrastructure. There is also a factory where we will produce robotaxis and send them all over the world,” said Rimac.

“We believe that autonomous vehicles will save many lives on the roads. There’s also the question of the benefits, because while you are driving in it, you can think about and do other things. But we are really focussing on usability, just like with smartphones. Multiple elements are there, you have a consistent experience because the driver is never rushes to another ride and can never cancel your ride. Anyone can use this service,” he revealed.

In the end, he said that there was enough talk and he ordered the vehicle through the application on his mobile phone, but it did not appear due to technical problems. “We tried a hundred times and it worked. Our technicians will solve the problem quickly,” he explained.

They later realised that there was a problem with the front wheel.

Appearance of robotaxis unveiled

The design of the Verne vehicle, named after the famous writer Jules Verne, who envisioned the potential of humanity during his travels, has also been unveiled. According to the founder, Verne will completely change the way we move around the city.

The ecosystem of this service is based on three key elements: autonomous electric vehicle, user application and specialised infrastructure. In each city there will be a so-called Mothership, i.e. a place where the Verne vehicles are inspected, maintained, cleaned and charged.

It is interesting to note that the Verne will be a two-seater because, as the founders claim, the vehicle is used by one or two people in 9 out of 10 journeys. The sliding doors will make it easier for users to get in and the company claims that it will offer more space than a Rolls Royce.

Inside, expect a living room-like interior with a 43-inch screen for both entertainment and information. Rimac emphasised that they want to offer users a service previously reserved for the wealthy – a comfortable and spacious vehicle with a safe driver.

Without steering wheel, accelerator and brake

As far as the vehicle itself is concerned, it is built on a completely new platform and has neither a steering wheel nor accelerator and brake pedals, as it is designed exclusively for autonomous driving.

Verne is building its first production facility for autonomous electric vehicles in Zagreb, which will then be used all over the world.

The first service will start in Zagreb in 2026.

In the end, Rimac admitted that not everything went according to plan, but they showed the prototypes of the robotaxis.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and the Minister for the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, also attended the presentation.

“I think it is very good that we will be among the pioneers in the field of regulation. We will create the conditions for this concept to come to life. It is a project in which fully autonomous vehicles can take over all the functions of driving on public transport. We are experiencing the first phase of this project today,” said Plenkovic, adding that the Croatian company is at the forefront of global trends.