• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

New LA Angels owner Stan Kroenke is quietly America's largest private landowner, boasting 2.7 million acres and besting Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

2

The heiress of $10 billion Perdue Farms and the $12 billion Sheraton Hotels empire wore hand-me-downs, still rides the subway, and flies economy

3

One of MacKenzie Scott's latest donations takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion

1

New LA Angels owner Stan Kroenke is quietly America's largest private landowner, boasting 2.7 million acres and besting Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos

2

The heiress of $10 billion Perdue Farms and the $12 billion Sheraton Hotels empire wore hand-me-downs, still rides the subway, and flies economy

3

One of MacKenzie Scott's latest donations takes her HBCU giving to well over $1 billion
TechConnected Logistics

Volkswagen Looks to Ride-Hailing Drivers as Its Next Customers

By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 1, 2016, 1:49 PM ET
The UK Are To Re-run Emissions Tests On Volkswagen Cars After German Scandal
Photograph by Rob Stothard — Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

For decades, automakers could count on the fact that people need to get from Point A to Point B. Quite often, that means they’ll purchase a car to take care of that. But that’s no longer the case.

With the rapid rise of ride-hailing services, which now provide an alternative to car ownership, automakers are rethinking their business models. On Wednesday, the Volkswagen Group (VLKPF), the latest large car manufacturer to partner with a ride-hailing service with a $300 million investment in Israeli company Gett, shared more details about its plans to adapt to this new world.

As part of that, Volkswagen will work with Gett to provide its drivers with special purchase and financing deals for Volkswagen cars. The collaboration will start by targeting drivers in European countries like Germany, where Gett plans to debut its service during the first half of 2017, the companies said on Wednesday.

Gett, which unlike its rivals only works with licensed taxis and private cars, is currently available in 60 cities across Russia, Israel, the U.K., and New York City in the United States. Volkswagen says Gett’s existing operations will give it access to a pool of more than 50,000 drivers.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

The companies also said that they will “explore areas of cooperation involving autonomous driving,” though no additional details were offered. Last month, when Volkswagen announced its investment in Gett, the ride-hailing company told Fortune that it does “not have any specific self-driving car plans at this time,” likely meaning that there are no concrete plans other than a general interest.

Though Volkswagen has joined the bandwagon, its deal with Gett seems predictable and not too far along—at least in comparison to others. GM (GM) and U.S.-based ride-hailing company Lyft are already working on autonomous driving with a pilot to launch by the end of the year. They also debuted a car rental program for Lyft drivers already. Toyota and Uber unveiled a partnership last week, which will also involve providing Uber drivers with special prices and terms to procure Toyota cars, whose vehicles are already common among drivers.

About the Author
By Kia Kokalitcheva
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in Tech


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.