It seems like just yesterday that Google and Uber were riding around in car that said "just married" -- but those days may be coming to an end.
Google, one of the largest investors in Uber, is now said to be developing its own ride-hailing service possibly in relation to its self-driving cars project, according to a report Monday from Bloomberg. Details on the Uber competitor are scarce, but the report claims that a Google representative has informed Uber's board of the plans and Uber executives have seen screenshots of Google's ride-hailing application.
Shortly before the Bloomberg report was released, TechCrunch reported Uber is opening a research lab for robotics with the goal of pursuing self-driving cars. Neither the Bloomberg report nor the TechCrunch report were confirmed.
Reps for Google and Uber did not immediately respond to our request for comment. Google's official Twitter account appeared to throw cold water on the report in a post.
@business We think you'll find Uber and Lyft work quite well. We use them all the time.— Google (@google) February 2, 2015
The search giant invested $258 million in Uber in 2013 through Google Ventures, its venture arm, and gained a board seat in the process -- though Bloomberg reports the Google board member may not be asked to resign. Some speculated at the time that the partnership could benefit both as Google could potentially pair its self-driving vehicles with Uber's fast-growing global operation.
Google, never one to shy away from a project that might sound insane to others, certainly has the financial wherewithal to be a formidable presence in the on-demand ride-hailing space, but if it moves in that direction it will face off against several well-funded and better established services, including Uber, Lyft, BlaBlaCar and Didi Dache, just to name a few.