February the 13th, 2025 – The Rimac robotaxi factory construction process has finally begun, with actual production scheduled to take place next year, should all go to plan.

As Sinisa Malus/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the construction of the very first factory for the production of autonomous vehicles in Croatian history has begun. It can be found in an area spanning 28,500 square metres within the new business park VGP Park Zagreb in Lučko near the capital.

This enormous project is being jointly implemented by Verne, a Croatian company developing an innovative ecosystem for urban autonomous mobility. The European company VGP, known as a provider of high-quality real estate for logistics and industry, it also involved.

a first for croatia and the entire region

Zeljko Lukunic/PIXSELL

As part of the new business park spanning a total of ten hectares in Lučko – VGP Park Zagreb, work is progressing on the construction of a factory for the large-scale production of autonomous electric vehicles.

“The construction of the Verne factory for large-scale production is a strategically important step for our company and a significant contribution to the development of the automotive industry of the future in Croatia. This is the very first factory of its kind in the whole region, which will transform Croatia into a key location for the modern automotive industry.

All Verne vehicles will be produced here in Croatia and exported to global markets from this location. We’re pleased to be cooperating with VGP, an industry leader, whose technical experience ensures the successful implementation of this demanding project. It’s important to emphasise that the construction of the factory, its maintenance costs and the additional funds that Verne will invest in equipping it come exclusively from private investments and aren’t at all related to EU cash”, said Marko Pejković, CEO and co-founder of Verne.

vgp enters croatia

Zeljko Lukunic/PIXSELL

The start of work on VGP Park Zagreb represents VGP’s entry into Croatia. The production facility for autonomous electric vehicles will be built according to Verne’s needs and specifications. The new production facility will be equipped with the most modern technology for the production, assembly and testing of these autonomous vehicles. The implementation of this project will bring numerous benefits to Croatia and represents a significant step forward for the domestic economy towards the concrete development of both digital and green technologies in the field of production.

Upon completion of construction, the Rimac robotaxi factory will create up to 400 jobs. The completion of construction works is scheduled for the end of this year, while the factory will only start operating according to the project plan in 2026. Initially, the production of several hundred vehicles is planned, with a gradual increase in production capacity in accordance with the dynamics of the project’s development.

a rocky start in june 2024

Zeljko Lukunic/PIXSELL

It’s worth recalling that back in June last year, the owner of Rimac Automobili, Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac, presented a robot taxi called Verne. It should finally take to Zagreb’s streets in 2026. It is, as they claim, a fully autonomous electric vehicle built on a new platform entirely fully adapted to autonomous driving.

The vehicle is the size of a Volkswagon Golf, with a battery sufficient for fourteen hours of driving. We can’t really go on without recalling the unfortunate accident that occurred at the presentation of the robotaxi, when Rimac tried to call a taxi with his mobile phone. Rimac wanted to show what it looks like to order a robotaxi via an app, but after he did so, the vehicle didn’t even start.

“Maybe it was some sort of effect of the presentation; when we tested out the process of ordering the robotaxi, it arrived and everything worked. My team will have to check what happened,” Rimac said on that occasion. During the presentation, co-founder and chief design officer at P3 Adriano Mudri once again tried to call the robotaxi, which once again refused to obey. Later, Rimac explained that the brake had jammed.

Rimac’s autonomous car will have two seats, no steering wheel or pedals, and not even a typical dashboard. The vehicle has a 43-inch screen that can be used, among other things, to share information about the trip while the car is moving.

Verne has otherwise been working with Mobileye for the past few years, whose autonomous driving platform Mobileye Drive will be integrated into the vehicle. The company’s system allows for flexibility, allowing autonomous driving to function in all locations, on different types of roads and in different weather conditions, all while adapting to local driving styles.

They have signed contracts with 11 cities across Europe, including the United Kingdom, as well as in the Middle East. The company is currently in talks with more than 30 cities around the world that plan to cooperate with Verne in the future.
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