The partnership formed by Volkswagen AG and Gett, an on-demand mobility provider, will put the German manufacturer “in a position to give licensed Gett drivers access to vehicles from our Group brands at special terms and conditions,” according to a joint statement sent to AFN.
“Special package offers will conveniently pool various costs such as purchase or finance as well as the necessary insurance and servicing,” VW wrote in a separate press release. Alongside brands such as Volkswagen, ŠKODA and SEAT, a special chauffeur service featuring premium brands, such as Audi and Porsche, is also being considered, the company said.
“We will be combining two worlds of mobility — the classic and the new. And in [the] future, what is to stop Gett drivers from chauffeuring their customers through the world’s megacities in a Porsche Panamera or an Audi A8 with a special premium version of the app?” Matthias Muller, chief executive of Volkswagen AG, said in the statement.
This partnership, which was announced at a June 1st kick-off event at the Drive Volkswagen Group Forum, in Berlin, marked the first substantial step in the auto manufacturer’s transition from auto making and structuring to providing integrated, sustainable mobility. “Looking ahead, the car won’t be our only core product for much longer. Our core product, our promise to people, is mobility,” he said.
At present, 65% of global traffic volume is in urban areas, according to Muller. And, he reasons, this means Europe’s in dire need of mobility innovation.
“We see jams, a shortage of parking space, and rising emissions,” he added. Traffic problems and overcrowding brings the average speed of vehicles in London and Beijing down to about 9.5 miles per hour — roughly equal to a horse-drawn carriage at the beginning of the 19th century, according to the statement.
According to Muller, Gett’s platform will include more stringent policies regarding special registration as prerequisite to driving for the ride-hailing company — an issue of negative repute in some cases, according to the release.
After Volkswagen announced its $300 million investment in Gett, the latter’s co-founder and Chief Executive Shahar Waiser added his words to the partnership. According to him, Volkswagen Group will have access to 50,000 taxicabs in over 60 megacities, including New York, London, Tel Aviv, and Moscow. Gett’s ride-hailing service is already moving 50 million customers to their destinations.
Gett services will be available in Berlin by the first half of 2017.
