, Columnist
Uber Would Be a Lifeline for Virus-Hit Daimler and BMW
The ride-hailing company’s interest in its main European rival Free Now should come as a relief to the storied German giants.
Finding your ride.
Photographer: Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket
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There has always been a paradox at the heart of Uber Technologies Inc.’s business model.
The ride-hailing firm aimed to attract users with prices that undercut the traditional taxi industry, thereby squeezing out the competition. With a monopoly, it would be able to raise its fares and turn a profit. But higher fares then risk irritating the customers it wooed with affordability in the first place.