Reuters reports that Daimler is investing as much as 50 million euros in a joint venture with Via, a ride-hailing startup based in the United States. The joint venture will look to offer on-demand shuttle services in select European cities this year.
The newswire stated that those European locations will include London. Rides will be offered through Mercedes-Benz Vans. The combined efforts of Daimler and Via, out of its Amsterdam headquarters, will operate as a separate entity, and the service itself would allow rides to be hailed through smartphones.
Via is currently operating in the United States, with an annual tally of about 12 million rides across New York, Washington and Chicago. The European venture will link with public transit operators and will also look to develop vehicles with autonomous driving and electric features.
In terms of corporate changes, Daimler also said that the head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, Volker Morhinweg, will take a spot on Via’s board of directors.
The Verge reported that Daimler is adding Via to its roster of transportation company joint efforts, with additional relationships in place with Uber, and a rental service that is operated by the company itself, through Car2Go.
The site noted that the van-sharing market “is heating up” beyond Lyft and Uber. In that arena, Ford has its U.S.-based Chariot service in cities such as Seattle and New York.
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