Daimler puts itself in the driving seat with Uber autonomous vehicle partnership
Ride hailing service Uber has taken its strategy of reaching out to major automakers up a level by signing a partnership with Daimler to add self-driving Mercedes-Benz vehicles to its fleet.
Uber is itself dedicating significant resources toward developing its own driverless technology and has made significant progress in terms of software – but it is ill-equipped to manufacture the vehicles on its own.
Outlining the strategy in a blog post Uber chief Travis Kalanick said: “Auto manufacturers like Daimler are crucial to our strategy because Uber has no experience making cars — and in fact, making cars is really hard.”
A date has yet to be set for Mercedes Benz’s entry into Uber’s fleet but the San Francisco-based firm is already offering self-driving car pilots to passengers in Pennsylvania and Arizona using customised Volvo vehicles owned and operated by Uber.
The Mercedes Benz deal by contrast will make sole use of Daimler’s own technology.