Its autonomous driving systems were developed in partnership with Mobileye, an Israeli-based specialist owned by chip-making giant Intel. It has already been tapped by some of the world’s most prolific car firms, such as Geely and the Volkswagen Group, for their own assisted driving systems.
Verne’s hatchback was designed from the inside out, the company said, with its exterior prioritising the neat integration of the required cameras and sensors, as well as aerodynamic performance.
Mudri said: “We deeply integrated cameras, radars, short- and long-distance lidars, and their cleaning systems. At the same time, we were able to simplify the appearance by removing the typical human-driven vehicle features. We got rid of the windshield wipers. The same goes for side-view mirrors. This makes the aerodynamic performance more efficient and allows for easier cleaning.”
The taxis will be built in Crotia’s capital, Zagreb – a move intended to “put Croatia on the map as a country that encourages the development of key future technologies”, according to Verne CEO Marko Pejković.
The service will initially operate from Zagreb, for which a 2026 launch is currently targeted. The UK and Germany are promised to follow in 2027, as the first two of 11 additional cities Verne has already signed agreements with.
A series of ‘motherships’ will be built ahead of the service’s launch in each city, serving as home bases for vehicle inspection, maintenance and charging.