It’s no secret that Uber has dominated the app-based ridesharing market. It’s main competitor, Lyft, is an also-ran, but has not reached the level of popularity yet to become a verb (“hey guys, wanna Uber to the party?”)
Now, a tech company that is similarly synonymous with their service has hinted at wanting to compete with Uber: Google.
This would be an unusual move for the tech giant: Google is one of Uber’s major investors, sinking nearly a quarter-of-a-billion dollars into the ridesharing app.
Also, the timing of the news was surprising considering the following:
The announcement of the tie-up came as Bloomberg reported that Google had shown Uber its own car-sharing app. That is expected to use Google’s driverless cars, according to a Bloomberg report.
After Bloomberg Business broke the story, Google tweeted the following in response, hinting towards a new business use for Uber:
As leaders in the tech industry continue to invest in nascent technology, similar partnerships and services will arise. For example, Apple CarPlay is an integrated service between major auto manufacturers like Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz with Apple.