The two are hoping regulators will clear the services merger sometime in 2018. They're clearly aware of the potential qualms over anti-competitive behavior, as they stress that they'll remain competitors in car manufacturing.

The aim, as you might suspect, is to gain a controlling stake in a future where car ownership declines and electric cars take over. Ford, GM and other big brands have all launched or experimented with their own services -- there's a chance that BMW and Daimler could be overwhelmed if they kept up the status quo. We wouldn't be surprised to see more alliances like this as mobility services mature and it becomes clearer which companies are leading the pack.