Toyota to invest $500 mil in Uber

Can you really call an app that makes you use taxis from designated taxi companies "Uber?"

"Sink" being the operative word here.

Too much money with no place to put it so they piss it up the wall with "Uber".  Which is just a scam for making first investors and top brass richer.

Odd, I just read an article on another website that Uber is "shifting focus" from cars to bicycle and scooter rentals.

Too much money with no place to put it so they piss it up the wall with "Uber". Which is just a scam for making first investors and top brass richer. does anybody think Toyota would invest in Uber if it wasn't coming to Japan, Uber has far more political clout in Japan now Toyota is backing them, well see how those J taxi companies fare now Toyota is lobby the J gov. Because you know foreign influence in Japan isnt influence when you've got a big Japanese partner by your side.

Uber couldn't make it in SE Asia and they won't make money in Japan either.

I think its a good move. Uber is fairly strong compared to rivals in many Westerm countries and Toyota have huge experience in those same countries and in several cases, leading sales. Plus huge engineering knowledge. A solid partnership

Yet no Uber in Japan yeto

Yet no Uber in Japan yeto

and thats why theyve partnered with Toyota, if Toyota cant use its political lobbying to get their way then no company can. When Toyota speaks the J gov listens

@wtfjapan

Yep, but reality is, try convincing the ultra protective Taxi Unions here, good luck with that.. hopefully it may change, but unions here are very powerful.

Yep, but reality is, try convincing the ultra protective Taxi Unions here, good luck with that.. hopefully it may change, but unions here are very powerful. lol

nah not even close Toyota has trillions of yen in cash to lobby with, employs 100s thousand of J workers both direclty and indirectly through suppliers and manufacturers. If Toyota wants in to the ride hailing business itll get its way eventually. Toyota will supply the autonomous vehilces and Uber will be the platform to hail them, no need for expensive outdated taxi industry. It wont happen overnight but believe it will happen.

Yeah, that investment in Uber will be sunk like the stone.