Forget words like “synergy” and “paradigm”?this is 2016, people! Buzzwords have moved on, and automakers are keen to leverage them and appear poised to reap future rewards by blurting out keywords such as “mobility,” “Big Data,” and “global” and then dropping a ton of cash into a ride-sharing or car-sharing service. Volkswagen is the latest into the fray, following General Motors’ investment in Lyft and subsequent launch of the Maven car-sharing apparatus, as well as Toyota’s investment in Uber. VW just announced it’s making a $300 million investment in Gett, formerly known as GetTaxi.

As you’d expect from Gett’s taxi roots, it is a ride-hailing service similar to Uber and Lyft. Haven’t heard of Gett, yet" That’s because it is European?say that in a fancy voice?where it competes with Uber for “share of mind.” According to Volkswagen, Gett operates in 60 cities worldwide, including New York, and it is growing. VW leans heavily on buzzwords in explaining the decision: “Innovative, digitally integrated services covering all aspects of mobility promise very strong growth momentum and huge earnings opportunities in the coming years. 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. The Volkswagen Group’s expresse...