Carpooling has historically been a hard sell to commuters. Whether it?s the convenience of driving themselves or the lure of cheap gasoline, the percentage of Americans who share rides to work peaked at 19.7 percent in 1980 and has fallen by more than half over the past three decades. But with more people rethinking the way they get around amid an influx of new app-based transportation options, one global automotive supplier is banking on carpooling making a comeback.
Bosch announced Tuesday it has acquired Splitting Fares, a Detroit startup that provides a software platform through which companies can offer carpooling options to their employees. Bosch recently created a new division, Connected Mobility Services, and its new acquisition will function as an independent subsidiary within that unit. While the likes of Uber and Lyft already deliver ride sharing for the masses, Splitting Fares, better known as SPLT, has essentially carved a niche within ride sharing. It sells its platforms specifically to business and others, such as universities, who want to set up shared transportation for their employees and students. Carpooling rides can be set up as one-time occurrences or as recurring trips.
Using an app, workers can connect with others in their organizations who share similar commutes. Then an algorithm computes their fastest route to the office. Bookings can be made both in advance or on demand. With service operational in the United States, Germany, and Mexico, SPLT sa...