Automakers have been dabbling in the ride-sharing industry, but Uber remains the titan to beat. In true “Power Rangers” fashion, two automakers are reportedly forming a Megazord of ride-sharing in order to bring the fight to Uber’s doorstep.
BMW and Daimler may combine their ride-sharing efforts to better compete with Uber, citing sources speaking to Germany’s Manager Magazin. BMW operates DriveNow (called ReachNow in the US), and Daimler runs Car2Go, both of which have achieved some success in the US, but not enough to tackle Uber.
In addition to that pairing, the companies are reportedly considering adding other mobility services into the fold. Back in July, Daimler merged its Mytaxi service with Hailo, another cab-hailing startup. Daimler also operates Moovel, which includes a booking and payment system for various mobility services. BMW also operates ParkNow and ChargeNow. It’s reasonable that many of these operations could be lumped together under the same name.
Neither BMW nor Daimler immediately responded to a request for comment.
Uber has been on a tear lately. It finally worked with cities to get ride-sharing pick-ups and drop-offs at certain airports. It’s also dabbling in autonomy, most recently rolling out some self-driving Volvos in San Francisco, but the legality of that arrangement is still up in the air. But it’s not all flowers and gentle breezes with the ride-sharing titan, which constantly finds itself the subject of some gnarly lawsuits.
