Uber has apparently been on an epic shopping spree in Germany, with self-driving cars and high-end Mercedes-Benz vehicles at the top of the list.
A report from Reuters have revealed the ride-sharing firm was seeking to place a large order for a fleet of autonomous vehicles.
According to an unnamed industry source: “They wanted autonomous cars. It seemed like they were shopping around.”
Uber has been on record in the past about its ambitions to offer a driverless service and an autonomous Uber-branded was even spotted on the streets of Pittsburgh, PA last year.
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A second report from Manager Magazin in Germany has revealed the firm recently bought at least 100,000 top-end Mercedes-Benz S-Class vehicles directly from the auto giant.
The figure, if accurate, equals the number of S-Class vehicles Mercedes sells in total per year and could represent an investment of up to $8 billion in the company.
Mercedes has its own interest in self-driving cars and developed a version of the S-Class with autonomous capabilities last year.
It is not clear whether the S-Class vehicles purchased by Uber share any of this functionality, but the the deal could spell closer alignment between the two companies in the years to come.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.