Volkswagen invests R4.7-billion into Uber rival Gett

San Francisco - German auto giant Volkswagen said it had made a $300-million strategic investment in Uber competitor Gett, which has a presence in more than 60 countries worldwide including London, Moscow and New York.

This comes on the same day that Japanese automaker Toyota announced it is investing in the world's largest e-hailing company, Uber.

'Tech to expand beyond car ownership'

In a statement, the company said: "The ride-hailing market represents the greatest market potential in on-demand mobility, while creating the technological platform for developing tomorrow's mobility business models."

Shahar Waiser, Gett's chief executive and founder, said the company "provides VW with the technology to expand beyond car ownership to on-demand mobility for consumers and businesses."

Toyota and Volkswagen are not the first carmakers to link up with rideshare apps.

In March 2016 , General Motors and Lyft unveiled a joint car rental service for drivers, a move aimed at boosting the number of vehicles available for the Uber rival.