Uber out of the running to buy Nokia mapping unit: sources

New York

UBER has made no secret of its global ambitions. The company's plans, however, will not include the multi-billion dollar purchase of Here, the main competitor to Google Maps.

Uber, the ride-hailing service, is now out of the running to acquire Here, according to three people with knowledge of the talks. The company had submitted an offer for Nokia's mapping division this year for as much as US$3 billion.

Instead, the three people said, negotiations for Here have focused on a potential deal between Nokia and a consortium of German carmakers, including BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The carmakers rely heavily on the Finnish company's digital mapping division to power their onboard navigation and entertainment systems. The peopl…