FI showroom red and grey logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Toyota, Volkswagen Announce Partnerships With Ride-Hailing Services

Toyota announced a partnership with ride-hailing giant Uber, while Volkswagen forged a pack with lesser-known but reportedly fast-growing Gett. While both OEMs sought out relationships with ride-hailing services, their approach to the partnerships will differ slightly.

by Staff
May 26, 2016
3 min to read


TOYOTA CITY, Japan, and WOLFSBURG, Germany — On Tuesday, both Toyota Motor Corp. and Volkswagen announced partnerships with competing ride-hailing services.

Toyota announced a partnership with ride-hailing giant Uber, while Volkswagen announced a partnership with lesser-known but reportedly fast-growing Gett. While both manufacturers sought partnerships with ride-hailing services, their approach to the newly forged relationships will differ slightly.

Ad Loading...

Toyota has entered a memorandum of understanding with Uber to explore collaboration, beginning with trials in countries where ridesharing is expanding. Toyota also announced that its financial services corporation and Mirai Creation Investment Limited Partnership will be making a strategic investment in Uber.

As part of the proposed partnership, the companies will create new flexible leasing options to allow car purchasers to lease their vehicles from Toyota Financial Services and cover their payments through earnings generated as Uber drivers, according to the announcement. This new leasing option will reportedly build upon Uber’s current Vehicle Solution’s program, which already offers an unlimited-mileage lease program with flexible terms, small down payment and the ability to have payments subtracted from earnings.

“Ridesharing has huge potential in terms of shaping the future of mobility. Through this collaboration with Uber, we would like to explore new ways of delivering secure, convenient and attractive mobility services to customers,” said Shigeki Tomoyama, senior managing officer of Toyota Motor Corp. and president of the Connected Company, one of Toyota Motor Corporation’s recently created in-house companies.

Toyota and Uber also stated they are exploring further collaborations in a variety of other areas, like developing in-car apps that support Uber Drivers, sharing knowledge and accelerating their respective research efforts, and establishing a special fleet program to sell Toyota and Lexus vehicles to Uber drivers.

Volkswagen will be making a $300 million strategic investment in Gett, a global ride hailing service provider. This partnership, the company stated, is based on a joint growth strategy to expand on-demand mobility services in Europe.

Ad Loading...

Gett is one of the leading providers in the European ride-hailing market, according to the company. It is currently available in 60 cities worldwide, including London, Moscow and New York City. Its business model, unlike Uber, is based exclusively on licensed drivers who have a permit to carry passengers.

"The Volkswagen Group and Gett is a great strategic partnership. The pay-per-ride domain is growing rapidly. In that context, Gett provides VW with the technology to expand beyond car ownership to on-demand mobility for consumers and businesses," said Shahar Waiser, Gett's founder and CEO.

The Volkswagen Group’s goal with this partnership is to generate a substantial share of its sales revenue from the ride-hailing market by 2025.

“Alongside our pioneering role in the automotive business, we aim to become a world leading mobility provider by 2025,” says Matthias Müller, chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. "Within the framework of our future Strategy 2025, the partnership with Gett marks the first milestone for the Volkswagen Group on the road to providing integrated mobility solutions that spotlight our customers and their mobility needs."

Completion of Volkswagen’s transaction is still subject to merger control clearance by antitrust authorities, the company stated. Matthias Müller and Shahar Waiser will be announcing further details in the coming week.

More F&I

Photo of a keyring with mltiple keys, including a car key fob, on a white surface
F&IJuly 15, 2026

Integrating Nontraditional F&I Products

The niche presents a strategic advantage for auto dealerships as they move to adapt to fast-changing consumer expectations in today’s market.

Read More →
Photo of businessman's hands holding eyeglasses at a desk
F&Iby Rick McCormickJuly 7, 2026

Trust Is Personal

Technology, no matter how efficient, can’t replace what the human F&I manager can do, which is to bridge the divide between cyberspace and the in-store experience.

Read More →
Photo of executive in a sports coat and glasses
Industryby StaffJuly 2, 2026

Amplify 2026 Billed as Turning Innovation Into Results

Reynolds and Reynolds says its annual retail summit will connect dealers with practical strategies, peer insight, and technology-driven ideas.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Woman standing on stage smiling.
F&Iby Lauren LawrenceJuly 1, 2026

Own Your Outcome: F&I in the Digital Customer Journey

Finance has historically been the last step in the car-buying process, but it doesn’t have to be. The customer’s journey starts long before they arrive at the dealership, and so should F&I’s involvement.

Read More →
$100 bill and magnifying glass on top of paper that says insurance policy terms and conditions.
F&Iby Lauren LawrenceJune 29, 2026

Tariffs Could Raise Insurance Premiums

As U.S. import tariffs affect repair costs, consumers might find it more affordable to replace a damaged vehicle, according to recent Insurify tariff analysis.

Read More →
Red toy car sitting on top of coins.
Auto Financeby Lauren LawrenceJune 24, 2026

Smaller Loans, Longer Terms

The youngest generation of car buyers is more likely to finance less expensive vehicles, more than half of generation Z consumers borrowing less than $25,000.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Under the hood of a Toyota Prius EV Hybrid car.
F&Iby StaffJune 15, 2026

New Lifetime Battery F&I Product Meant to Drive Dealer Traffic

EFG Cos. offering is intended to create lifetime auto dealer engagement with customers.

Read More →
Several illustrations of question marks on a surface
F&IJune 10, 2026

The Psychology Behind Menus That Increase Add-On Sales

There is a science to crafting a menu that gives customers confidence in the choices presented, and moving the process outside the F&I office can further boost results.

Read More →
Man holding magnifying glass over sales volume paper.
F&IMay 29, 2026

Why Your F&I PVR Is Misleading You

Here’s a handy checklist of the numbers to track in 2026 instead.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Photo of woman typing on a laptop as she sits on a couch
F&Iby Hannah MitchellMay 29, 2026

Auto Consumer Anxiety Presents Opportunity

A survey of U.S. drivers found the majority are concerned about finances and the economy, but those fears make many ready to buy vehicle-protection products.

Read More →