With Lyft Investment, Is GM Getting Out Of The Car Business Or Are Cars Getting Out Of The GM Business?

When Lyft announced on Monday (Jan. 4) that it had just closed a $1 billion round of funding—which included $500 million from General Motors—it struck some as puzzling. Why would an automaker like GM want a big chunk of a car-on-demand service? Did Toyota ever make a huge strategic invest in Yellow Cab? The answer lies in huge imminent changes within the car industry, as it inches its way from a product business to a service business.

The other half-billion came from more traditional investors, with the Kingdom Holding Company dropping $100 million (bringing Kingdom's total Lyft investment to $250 million) and the rest coming from Janus Capital Management, Rakuten, Didi Kuaidi and Alibaba. This all brings Lyft's current valuation to about $5.5 billion. But where's the strategic link between a car-maker and a ride-sharer? That's where things get interesting.