Daimler Buys Majority Stake In French Ridesharing Company

Daimler’s Daimler Mobility Services announced news on Thursday (Dec. 21) that it has acquired a majority stake in Chauffeur Privé, one of the leading private hire vehicle services in France.

In a press release, Daimler Mobility Services said the acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, gives the unit operational presence in 15 European markets. It also strengthens the company’s position as a mobility services provider in Europe.

“With this step, we continue to dynamically expand our portfolio and presence in Europe and solidify our leading position in multi-modal mobility services. We have found an excellent partner for France with Chauffeur Privé, whose ability to deliver mobility at your fingertips ideally complements our current portfolio and approach,” said Klaus Entenmann, CEO, Daimler Financial Services, in the press release.

Through the deal, Daimler Mobility Services will control 50 percent of Chauffeur Privé but plans to fully acquire the company by 2019. Chauffeur Privé was founded in 2011 and has more than 1.5 million customers and 18,000 drivers. It is a leader in private ride-hailing services in France.

“Today is really a great milestone for Chauffeur Privé. Daimler is one of the strongest and most future-oriented partners in the market. We share the same visions for the issue of new and advanced mobility concepts, especially in urban areas. We look forward to further innovative mobility solutions as we provide compelling offers for both drivers and passengers,” added Yan Hascoet, founder and CEO of Chauffeur Privé in the same press release.

Earlier this year, Daimler Financial Services acquired Luxembourg-based mobile payments solutions and eWallet technology provider PayCash Europe. Daimler Group said that it will use the acquisition of PayCash to develop and build its own electronic payment service, building upon PayCash Europe’s existing platform. Dubbed Mercedes Pay, the mobile payment method will be incorporated into the Daimler Mobility Services branch, which includes car-share venture car2go and European mobile taxi application mytaxi.