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HughPickens.com writes:

Mark Scott writes in the NYT that Google will start testing a carpooling service where drivers will be able to use a smartphone app called RideWith to pick up passengers during rush hours, allowing them to split the cost of their rides to work. Unlike similar services offered by the likes of Uber, Google's carpooling service will allow drivers to recoup only the cost of gas and wear and tear to their vehicles. Drivers will not be able to use the app to offer traditional taxi services. "Carpooling can be a hassle and difficult to manage," said Waze, the Israeli social mapping start-up that the company bought in 2013 for $1 billion. "Waze has developed RideWith to serve Israeli commuters at their greatest time of need: rush hour. We hope to learn a lot from this pilot and will let you know how it goes."

The service, which is currently available only in Israel, is part of Google's increasing moves into the territory of Uber which has started its own carpooling service in the United States, which allows users to divide the cost of a ride when traveling in the same direction. This is the latest sign that Google and Uber are more likely to be ferocious competitors than allies. Google is preparing to offer its own ride-hailing service, most likely in conjunction with its long-in-development driverless car project while Uber is also teaming up with Carnegie Mellon University for a research facility in Pittsburgh, Pa., to develop its own autonomous vehicle technology.