Uber is reported to be spending up to $500 million to create its own maps and reduce the reliance on Google's mapping service.FT.com says the investment into an "ambitious global mapping project" is so it can wean itself off dependence on Google Maps and pave the way for driverless cars.It says the company has mapping vehicles crisscrossing the US and Mexico to record the surroundings and gather images for maps and will driving mapping vehicles in other countries soon.It adds that although Google was an early investor in Uber, the two companies have avoided working closely together.