Rimac, a company that makes electric hypercars, teamed up with Bugatti in 2021 and now runs Verne, a new company that makes self-driving cars. Verne uses Mobileye’s self-driving technology to run a fully driverless pod with two seats. The first Verne Robotaxi service will start in Zagreb, Croatia, in 2026. The company plans to expand to other cities in Europe and the Middle East after that. The Croatian company Rimac has become well-known over the last ten years thanks to electric hypercars like the 1813-hp Nevera and a high-profile partnership with Bugatti in 2021. With the Verne robotaxi, Rimac is entering a new market. It is an automatic pod that will not need any driving controls and will be on the roads in 2026. The business’s name comes from the name of a French author from the 1800s, Jules Verne. He was best known for his science fiction adventure books, such as Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. In a press release, the car company said that Verne’s focus on travel and the future inspired its idea for self-driving cars. Going Beyond the Design Limits There is something very strange about the Verne robotaxi. It has a nice trapezoidal shape, and the long window that almost reaches the front of the car makes it stand out. Verne says that the unusual shape is the result of designing the inside. There are a lot of cameras and sensors that can be seen, like the lens that sticks out from the roof and the sensors that stick out of the side windows. This suggests that the vehicle can work on its own. The Verne car drives itself, but to make it more aerodynamic, the designers took away things like side view mirrors and windshield fans that are normally on cars that people drive. The Verne, which is based on a new platform, was made with self-driving in mind from the very beginning. The self-driving technology was made in partnership with Mobileye, an Israeli company that was one of the first to market with self-driving cars and is mostly owned by Intel. The autonomous design of Mobileye Drive powers the robotaxi. It is made up of radar, lidar, and cameras. Verne says that the system is made to work on different roads and in different weather situations. It also takes into account how people drive in different areas. A Room That Moves The Verne is different from many other future ideas of self-driving pods because it only has room for two people. Verne’s data shows that nine out of ten rides are for one or two people. With this layout, they can fit most of their customers while keeping a big cabin in a small space. Verne says that it has more room inside than a Rolls-Royce, but he doesn’t say which model it is. The doors swing open so they don’t get in the way of traffic. The opening is big enough for people to walk through and sit down easily. In line with how most self-driving cars are set up, Verne says the cabin was made to be “less automotive and more like a living room.” The dashboard has been replaced with a 43-inch screen that shows details about the trip or entertainment. There are no driving controls on the screen. Verne also said that the “extra-large” seats have “five different levels of comfort,” but he didn’t say what this meant. There are also 17 speakers in the music system. A tablet in between the seats lets the rider change the vehicle’s settings. Verne thinks that the “Median,” a real switch that starts and stops the trip, is another part that makes the user feel in charge. In his writings, Verne calls the round window shown above the “Halo ring.” Verne’s Plant and Animal Life Verne is made up of something other than the car. The business is also making an app for calling taxis. Using the app, customers will be able to set the lighting, weather, and even the smell of the car before their trip. The “Mothership,” a special building that Verne will put in every place he works, will be where the cars are checked out, cleaned, fixed, and refueled every day. The first Mothership will be in Zagreb, right next to Verne’s main office. Verne is now building its first factory in Croatia. The company plans to start offering its first robotaxi service in Zagreb, the city of Croatia, in 2026. After that, the company will sell the car all over the world, starting in European towns in Germany and Britain and then moving on to the Middle East. Verne says that he has agreements with 11 towns in the Middle East, the UK, and the EU. He also says that he has talked with more than 30 communities around the world.
