Grab Joins nuTonomy to Offer Self-Driving Taxis in Singapore

The rivalry between Uber Technologies Inc. and GrabTaxi Holdings Pte. Ltd. expanded to a new front Friday, when Grab said it was teaming up with self-driving car company nuTonomy in Singapore. Selected Grab customers in the city-state will be able to register to use the ride-hailing app to book a nuTonomy vehicle. The rides will be free, though restricted to the relatively uncongested one-north business district and adjacent neighborhoods. Founded by two researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, nuTonomy began testing its self-driving taxi service in Singapore last month with government approval, beating Uber's trials in Pittsburgh by days. The public trial is still small-scale: NuTonomy said it plans to have a dozen self-driving cars available by the end of the year; Grab has more than 40,000 drivers in the city.