Uber invests half a billion dollars in its own map service

Uber is investing $500 million in its own map service to reduce its dependence on Google Maps and prepare for a future of autonomous driving, claims the Financial Times. Uber would also transfer its Chinese activities to Didi Chuxing.

The FT claims to have heard from one of its sources that Uber is willing to put half a billion dollars into its own map service. The company has been collecting extra data for some time in addition to the maps from Google Maps, which Uber still uses until now. In the US, the company’s vehicles have been mapping the environment since last year, followed by vehicles in Mexico this year.

The company plans to expand that project to other countries, a blog post said. Among other things, Uber wants to analyze traffic flows and obtain detailed information about locations where passengers can be picked up and dropped off.

In China, Uber is merging its operations with that of its biggest competitor there, Didi Chuxin. Investors in Uber China will receive a 20 percent stake in the resulting company and Didi would invest $1 billion in Uber. Bloomberg reports that. Uber and Didi were engaged in a competition that led, among other things, to low prices. Last week, the Chinese government ruled that taxi apps like those for Uber and Didi are legal. Apple, among others, invested heavily in Didi.