Rimac may be best known for his Nevera electric hypercarbut the Croatian technology company provides a wide range of products and services and intends to increase this in the near future with the launch of the Verne robotaxi service.
The service is named after famous French science fiction novelist Jules Verne and will launch in 2026, Rimac announced on Wednesday.
The first location was confirmed to be the Croatian capital, Zagreb, where Rimac is based. Locations in the United Kingdom, Germany and parts of West Asia are planned to follow, Rimac said.
The service will initially use a compact electric hatchback with sliding doors and two seats as a robotaxi. According to Rimac, around 90% of trips carry just one or two people on board.
![Verne robotaxi Verne robotaxi](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/verne-robotaxi_100934131_l.webp.webp)
Verne robotaxi
There is no steering wheel or pedals. Instead, the dashboard is equipped with a 43-inch digital screen that can display trip information or entertainment features. A touchpad between the seats can be used to interact with the vehicle. A dedicated app will also be launched alongside the service.
The autonomous driving technology will be provided by Mobileye and will include lidar, radar and camera sensors. Rimac doesn’t give many details, but said the autonomous driving system will be classified at level 4 in the SAE scale autonomous driving capability. This means a vehicle that can drive itself for long periods, albeit within certain conditions, the main one being typically within a geofenced area.
The Volkswagen Group, a company closely linked to Rimac, also count on Mobileye technology for a robotaxi service using autonomous Volkswagen ID.Buzz vans. The VW Group is testing prototypes for the robotaxi service in Hamburg, Germany, and Austin, Texas, and expects the first commercial service to begin around 2026.
Some robotaxi services are already in operation, such as Waymo’s Waymo One service, which operates in parts of the US, as well as Baidu’s Apollo Go service in China. Tesla also plans to take action and has previously announced that it will reveal a robotaxi on August 8th.