VW Is The Latest Carmaker To Jump Into Uber's Mobility Business

Ole Harms, CEO of MOIA, left, and Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Müller at the announcement of the carmaker's new mobility unit. Volkswagen is moving into the evolving mobility services business with the creation of Moia, a Berlin-based company that will provide a range of ride services in urban markets, with an eye to becoming one of the world's largest such service providers by 2025. The announcement follows similar steps by General Motors and Ford, suggesting ride-share leader Uber can expect tough competition from carmakers themselves in the years to come. Moia begins operating January 1, initially with a staff of 50, and will expand rapidly, Volkswagen said in a statement issued as it announced the new initiative at a TechCrunch conference in London. Moia will focus on using environmentally friendly vehicles and will have access to products from across the Volkswagen Group's 12-brand lineup.