Verne has unveiled its fleet of fully autonomous electric taxis for carpooling, ride-sharing, or cab-hailing around cities. It’s similar to taxi bookings and services found these days, except that no one’s driving Verne’s cars, and these vehicles can still navigate through traffic jams and busy roads around the cities on their own. Mate Rimac, the CEO of Rimac Automobili, founded the mobility company together with two of his colleagues and friends at Rimac Group, Marko Pejković, now CEO of Verne, and Adriano Mudri, the designer of Nevera and Chief Design Officer at Verne. The trio is gearing up to produce the autonomous electric taxis, which are expected to be launched in 2026 in Zagreb, Croatia, the headquarters of the mobility company.
Verne collaborates with Mobileye, a system software company, for its autonomous electric taxis. The software company brings its sensor set of cameras, radar, and lidar to the Verne vehicles to enable their automated driving capabilities even in urban settings and traffic. The equipment can allow the cars to work their way through different locations and road types, as well as varying weather conditions. They can also take the driving styles of the nearby vehicles into account, which may be crucial for Verne given that no one’s driving their autonomous electric taxis.
A passenger-centered cabin is within Verne’s design language for the interior of its autonomous electric taxis. For starters, it can only accommodate two people because, as Chief Design Officer Adriano Mudri says, their research data shows that 9 out of 10 rides are used only by one or two people. With this in mind, the interior space is ample, even if the vehicle is compact. The design team describes it as having ‘more space than a Rolls-Royce to relax,’ even with two extra-large seats that the passengers can also use as a temporary workstation.
The sliding doors are installed to facilitate passenger entry, especially in traffic or on narrow roads. Upon entering, passengers will notice the absence of a traditional dashboard, steering wheel, and pedals. Instead, there is a 43-inch display at the front where they can watch movies or listen to music before reaching their destination. Any queries about the audio can be addressed by the 17 speakers positioned around the cabin for a surround sound experience.
Verne’s team mentions that the cabin is pre-conditioned for temperature control. If it’s cold outside, the interior of the car will be warm, and vice versa. The lighting setup can be adjusted to match the passengers’ mood and the interior ambiance. In between the spacious seats, there is a touchpad for users to interact with the in-vehicle system. From there, they can adjust the light intensity, sound volume, and even initiate or end the journey using a physical switch called ‘the Median.’ Looking up, passengers will find a panoramic sunroof that allows natural light to illuminate the interior.
Verne describes the exterior of its autonomous electric taxis as having a sleek, encompassing, spaceship-like canopy on top with a refined and sturdy lower body. The design team has eliminated windshield wipers and side-view mirrors to enhance aerodynamic performance, while retaining the trunk for storage space and easier cleaning.
When it comes time to book a ride, passengers can utilize Verne’s ride-hailing app. The app tracks the real-time location of the car and estimates how long it will take to arrive for pick-up. Verne assures that once the reservation is confirmed on the app, the taxi will not be canceled. Even before the autonomous taxi arrives, passengers have the option to personalize their ride, adjusting the cabin’s temperature, lighting, and even choosing the desired scent.
At the end of the day, Verne gathers all its autonomous electric taxis back to Mothership, the facility where the cars are parked, cleaned, and maintained after their shifts. “This is where Verne vehicles undergo daily inspections, maintenance, cleaning, and charging to ensure they are always safe, clean, and ready to embark on a new journey. The first Mothership will be constructed in Zagreb, adjacent to our headquarters,” explains Marko Pejković, CEO of Verne.
The CEO mentions that the company is constructing a production facility in the southern region of Zagreb for the mass production, assembly, calibration, and testing of autonomous electric vehicles to be deployed globally. The inaugural Verne service is scheduled to launch in Zagreb in 2026, followed by expansions to other European cities, starting with the UK and Germany, and then moving into the Middle East. Verne has already secured agreements with 11 cities in the EU, UK, and the Middle East, with ongoing negotiations with over 30 cities worldwide.