Daimler and Uber sign self-driving deal
- February 2, 2017
- Posted by: Simon Wait
- Category: Industry News
Daimler and Uber have agreed to work together to introduce more self-driving vehicles onto the platform.
Daimler is the first auto company to join with Uber as it opens up its platform for manufacturers to introduce their own self-driving cars.
With its new corporate strategy entitled CASE – Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services and Electric – Mercedes-Benz Cars is marking out the cornerstones for its future success and the reshaping of mobility. This agreement is the next step.
Meanwhile, Uber has assembled a strong self-driving engineering group with its Advanced Technology Group, which is testing self-driving vehicles on the road in the US. Uber’s Otto division is also working on self-driving trucks.
‘As the inventor of the automobile, Daimler aims to be a leader in autonomous driving – one of the most fascinating aspects of reinventing mobility,’ said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. ‘Mobility service providers offer an ideal platform for autonomous driving technology and Uber is a leading mobility platform company. The real revolution in future mobility lies in intelligently linking the four major trends we call CASE. And we will certainly be the driver of these changes.’
Travis Kalanick, CEO and co-founder of Uber, said, ‘Self-driving technology holds the promise of creating cities that are safer, cleaner and more accessible. But we can’t get to that future alone. That’s why we’re opening up the Uber platform to auto manufacturers like Daimler. By combining Daimler’s and Uber’s technological strengths, more people can get access to reliable transportation at the push of a button.’
