Volkswagen Group's mobility startup, MOIA, has introduced a ride pooling concept just one year after its inception.

The MOIA concept aims to provide new mobility options that will significantly reduce traffic in major cities and is being unveiled at TechCrunch in Berlin.

Ole Harms, MOIA CEO, said: “We want to create a solution for the typical transport problems that cities face, such as traffic, air and noise pollution, and lack of space, while simultaneously helping them reach their sustainability goals.

“In a short time, we’ve laid the groundwork to add a new mobility component to the urban mix. In 2018, we’ll be ready to launch our ride pooling concept internationally and take the first steps toward our goal of reducing the number of cars in major cities by one million in Europe and the USA by 2025.”

As a first project, the entire ecosystem including the newly designed car will launch in Hamburg at the end of 2018.

“We’ll be able to offer the complete ride pooling value chain – as needed or just individual pieces,” said Harms.

Various operator models will be possible and can be developed together with cities and partners, it said.

In addition to the car, the system consists of a customer app, which passengers use to book and pay for a MOIA.