Daimler and Uber have signed an agreement which will see a host of autonomous Mercedes-Benz models added to Uber’s ride-sharing fleet.
While many of the finer details of the agreement have yet to be publicized, a statement issued by Daimler says that the brand’s self-driving vehicles will be added to “Uber’s global ridesharing network in the coming years.” It remains unknown which Mercedes models will be the first to join Uber but it will likely be the updated E-Class, the German firm’s most advanced semi-autonomous vehicle currently on sale.
The deal marks the first of its kind where an outside automaker has developed self-driving vehicles without Uber’s help and then added them to the company’s ride-sharing network.
According to chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Dieter Zetsche said “As the inventor of the automobile, Daimler aims to be a leader in autonomous driving – one of the most fascinating aspects of reinventing mobility.
“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: connectivity, autonomous driving, sharing and electric mobility. And we will certainly be the driver of these changes,” Zetsche said.
