September the 2nd, 2026 – Has the Croatian robotaxi story ended? It has been revealed that Mate Rimac’s Verne may need to return 89.7 million euros if it is determined that the project has indeed failed.
The company Verne, which has been engaged in developing the much anticipated robotaxi project, is prepared to return 89.7 million euros in advance payments drawn from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan if the evaluation of what has been achieved so far in the project shows that the contracted obligations have not been fully met. “The company is prepared to return all funds,” Verne said in its announcement.
an ongoing procedure
The Verne project, partially financed from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO), officially ended on the 31st of August, but the key part of the procedure is still to come, the final evaluation that will show whether all contracted obligations have been fulfilled. Sinisa Malus reports for Poslovni that the company has stated, as touched on above, that it is prepared to return all funds if the competent authorities determine that the objectives have not been fully achieved, according to the announcement. The company has so far drawn 89.7 million euros in advance payments from the NPOO project, while it has raised more than 140 million euros from various private investors.
The Verne robotaxi project has therefore formally ended, but the procedure is not finished. Within one month, Verne must submit a report on all activities carried out, costs incurred and final results achieved. On the basis of that documentation, the competent authorities will carry out the final evaluation and determine what of the contracted obligations has actually been fulfilled.
what we know so far
The delivery of all prototypes of fully autonomous electric vehicles envisaged by the project has been verified, testing has been carried out, and regulations have been adopted. “The project ended on the 31st of August. The company is now submitting, within one month, a report on all activities carried out, costs incurred and final results achieved. On the basis of that report, the competent authorities will make the final evaluation of the project, i.e. an assessment of what has been successfully fulfilled in the project,” Verne stated.
According to the company’s claims, some of the objectives have already passed the verification of the competent institutions. The delivery of all prototypes of fully autonomous electric vehicles envisaged by the project has been verified, appropriate testing has been carried out, and regulations governing autonomous driving have been adopted. However, three remaining objectives still need to receive a final assessment, and the outcome of the project will largely depend on them. These are: the issuance of 50,000 free vouchers for rides in fully autonomous vehicles to persons with disabilities, the production of fully autonomous electric vehicles adapted to the needs of passengers with disabilities, and the establishment and operational readiness of specialised infrastructure.
multiple amendments have already been made
“In the implementation of the project so far, the competent institutions have verified that all verification prototypes of fully autonomous and electric vehicles have been successfully delivered, that appropriate testing has been carried out, and that regulations on autonomous driving have been adopted,” the company stated. They add that the public will be informed after the competent authorities complete the procedure of assessing the success of the project.
The main result of the project, for which Project 3 Mobility was approved 179.5 million euros from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, was supposed to be a fully autonomous electric vehicle of the fifth level of autonomy. That objective did not change even after multiple amendments to the contract and extensions of deadlines. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure particularly emphasised this back in April, when the last annex to the contract was signed.
The fifth level represents the highest level of autonomy. Such a vehicle does not need a driver and is not limited to predefined areas or driving conditions. Neither Verne nor any other company in the world has a vehicle of that level of autonomy today.
there are still many unknowns in the story
As Mate Rimac revealed recently, the fact is that Verne has, in addition to EU funds, also attracted more than 140 million euros in private funds. The robotaxi is already driving the streets of Zagreb. Uber is a strategic partner, and Pony.ai is the technology partner. Verne will be the owner of the fleet and the operator of the service, Pony.ai will provide the autonomous driving solution, while Uber will integrate the service into its global ride-hailing network, which will be an additional option alongside the Verne application. Together, the companies are building a commercial robotaxi service in Zagreb, and over time also in additional European and international markets, with plans to expand to a fleet of thousands of autonomous vehicles in the coming years.
“It’s difficult even to determine precise deadlines for when this will become a profitable business. It’s a kind of adventure, but all partners see potential in it. It will be a great story, but realistically it will take quite a lot of time. It wouldn’t be particularly serious to forecast now when this will be a sustainable business model,” was Rimac’s answer to the question about the profitability of the robotaxi business itself.
