Google Testing New Carpooling Service RideWith In Israel

Google is running a limited trial of a new carpooling service called RideWith that connects drivers on their way to work with potential riders. It’s powered by the Google-owned navigation app Waze and is available on Android to select users for now.

RideWith allows riders to request a ride to work or another destination via Waze with drivers that have opted into the trial and make a similar commute. When a request is accepted by a Waze driver, they pick up the rider and carpool together to the destination, with the rider’s GPS location being provided by the app.

Waze is Israeli-founded and Google-owned, and the navigation app is used by approximately 50 million people who rely on it for assistance with redirecting their route around traffic jams, accidents and other obstacles. Now, with its expansion into ridesharing, Waze is hoping to increase the reach of its service further.

Google’s entry into ridesharing is more limited than a service like Uber. Drivers will only be able to offer two rides per day, and they have to begin either near where they work or near where they live. Additionally, drivers are only allowed to take a small amount of money from riders to offset wear and tear, gas, and other standard expenses associated with owning a car, so being a Waze driver is not a potential way to earn a significant amount of money. Passengers can pay drivers through their credit cards linked to the app to cover the basic expenses, with the prices being determined by the app based on the cost of gas per mile and indices for wear and tear. Google will take a cut of the fee paid, although the percentage is still to be determined.

However, even with these restrictions, Waze’s expansion could eventually bring it into serious competition with Uber if its ridesharing service takes off. Google was actually an early investor in Uber, but the two companies drifted apart to create their own entries into the potentially lucrative ridesharing market. Additionally, Uber is racing against Google to build the first working self-driving car, in preparation for Uber’s expected transformation over time into a global logistics and delivery platform.

It appears that Google’s initial limitations for Waze are intended to help the company avoid some of the regulatory issues that have hit Uber around the world. For example, Uber recently suspended its low-cost ridesharing service, UberPop, in France after authorities clamped down on the company. In Israel, the government has promised to defend traditional taxi drivers against companies like Uber, which could end up helping Waze as its carpooling service tries to gain initial traction. However, Google was careful to make it clear that its carpooling test is not a competitive play against Uber.

“RideWith is an experiment in the Tel Aviv area that doesn’t compete with Uber: it’s a platform built to enable local drivers to help each other during busy commute hours,” explained a Google representative.

Google’s carpooling service will initially launch in Tel Aviv, Ra’anana and Herzliya, and the company reportedly plans to expand the trial to other parts of Israel if the initial tests prove successful.

“We’re conducting a small, private beta test in the greater Tel Aviv area for a carpool concept, but we have nothing further to announce at this time,” a Waze representative told Reuters.

RideWith is currently available on Android, and Waze explains that the feature will be unlocked “user by user when we believe we can provide quality service along your route.”