Daimler to ready car2go for fusion with BMW’s DriveNow?
Daimler has acquired all Car2Go shares from partner Europcar, thus making way for the expected alliance with BMW’s DriveNow potentially. The buy out cost Mercedes 70 million euros. Daimler and BMW have been discussing plans to build a joint business for mobility services in Europe since 2017.
Daimler’s move follows BMW that had acquired all shares of DriveNow from former partner Sixt in order to pave the way for a super car sharing service run jointly by both carmakers.
While none of the companies confirmed plans for a joint venture or other form of merging services, the idea to join forces has been discussed since last year (we reported). In a statement, Daimler’s Head of Mobility Services Jörg Lamparter, described the move as part of a wider strategy “to create a holistic mobility system with a broad portfolio.”
In addition to car2go, Daimler Mobility Services is responsible for moovel and mytaxi. Moreover, Daimler Mobility Services holds minority stakes in Blacklane, Careem, Flixbus, Turo and Via. To date, car2go Group claims it has more than 3 million users worldwide.
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