Want to share a ride?

Want to share a ride? Ok. We all know how convenient it is to engage the little Uber app on our phones and have our personal ride show up wherever we are, whenever we want, on demand. But the ride-sharing wars have now escalated to a whole new level, as global automotive players are hopping on the bandwagon. Toyota has worked out a deal with Uber, GM is partnering with Lyft, Volkswagen and Gett will soon collaborate… and now even Google is entering the fray with its Waze Carpool. These are not small investments. The auto industry is grappling with a shifting transportation landscape – electric cars, autonomous cars, and let’s not forget the Hyperloop (the newest, high-speed, torpedo-like hover train system currently being tested in the California desert). Check out these articles to get a better handle on which players will dominate in this burgeoning arena…

Globe & Mail – Toyota, Uber join forces to expand auto-leasing program
Toyota Motor Corp. said it’s making a strategic investment in Uber Technologies Inc. as automakers race to align themselves with the fast-growing ride-hailing industry.

Financial Times – Volkswagen invests $300M in taxi app Gett
The German carmaker’s investment, which more than doubles the amount of funding raised by Gett, comes only months after General Motors injected $500 million into US ride-hailing app Lyft.

Forbes – Analysts Predict Ride-Sharing Could Actually Increase Vehicle Sales
As ride- and car-sharing services as well as emerging autonomous technology make traditional car ownership less attractive, the auto industry is bracing for massive change – and an inevitable reduction in individual vehicle sales.

PSFK – Waze Carpool Helps Ease Traffic In SF
Google-owned maps app Waze launched Waze Carpool, a pilot carpooling service in California’s Bay Area that will allow employees of select companies to hitch rides to work together.


Michael
Michael Chase, CMO
St. Joseph Communications

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