Croatian startup readies self-driving taxi Verne for Zagreb launchZAGREB - Autonomous vehicle startup Project 3 Mobility , set up by the founder of Croatian electric vehicle maker Rimac Group, presented on Wednesday its self-driving robotaxi named after French writer Jules Verne ahead of a planned launch in 2026.
"What we are trying to do is to deliver a luxury car experience in the space of a compact car," Mate Rimac, CEO of the Rimac Group, which is part-owned by Porsche AG, said during the presentation.ADVERTISEMENT Zagreb and 10 other cities around the world have already signed contracts for Verne taxis, named after the writer of Around the World in Eighty Days. Talks with 20 more cities are underway, said P3 CEO Marko Pejkovic.
Last February P3 closed its Series A funding round raising around 100 million euros from private investors including TASARU Mobility Investments, a unit of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund , South Korean automaker Kia, and Rimac Group.Two drivers were seriously injured when two vehicles — one travelling in the wrong direction — collided on Highway 401 near Kingston, Ont., Tuesday, Ontario Provincial Police said.