MANCHESTER, England - Uber, the Chinese self-driving company Pony.ai and the Croatian robotaxi operator Verne said on Wednesday that they had begun testing robotaxis in Manchester, the second British city added to the companies' plans in less than a week.
"Building on our service together in Zagreb, Gen-7 Robotaxis are now testing in Manchester," Uber said in a post on X, describing the project as a pilot of autonomous vehicles in the city. "We're excited to take this first step toward making this technology accessible to people across the UK."
Pony.ai said in its own post that it was extending its collaboration with Uber and Verne from Zagreb to Manchester, "with plans to bring Pony.ai's Gen-7 Robotaxis to the city. Testing is underway."
The announcements left the basics open. The companies did not say how many cars are being tested, which parts of the city they are driving in, whether a safety operator is aboard or when Manchester residents might be able to book a ride.
Wednesday's news came six days after Pony.ai and Uber said they would begin testing Pony.ai's seventh-generation robotaxis in London in the coming weeks. Zhito Finance, a Chinese financial news service, described the Manchester plan as a joint announcement by the three companies.
Manchester has long been on Verne's map. City officials had agreed in principle for Manchester to be the second place Verne rolled out its service after Zagreb, Auto Express reported in January 2025, when the company showed its own two-seat robotaxi. At the time, Sam Li, a senior innovation officer at Transport for Greater Manchester, told the magazine that "more work is required from UK regulators around vehicle accreditation and certification."
In Zagreb, Pony.ai supplies its Gen-7 self-driving system on the Arcfox Alpha T5, built with the Chinese automaker BAIC. Verne owns and runs the fleet, and Uber offers the rides on its app alongside Verne's own. Verne began paid rides in April with a safety operator in the driver's seat.
Marko Pejkovic, Verne's chief executive, told Agence France-Presse this week that the company began testing fully driverless rides in August on a 22-kilometer route between its Zagreb headquarters and the city's airport, and that he expected to offer them to the public next year. Verne's fleet of about 30 vehicles has around 1,500 users, with more than 10,000 people on a waiting list, according to the company, and rides cost a flat 1.99 euros.
In August, Pony.ai and Uber said they planned to deploy more than 2,000 Pony.ai robotaxis across Europe, expanding from Zagreb to four more cities they did not name. Uber also works with Wayve, the British start-up, which began London's first robotaxi service on the Uber app in September with a safety driver in every car.
