Following its two-year hiatus, Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi is making a comeback in the public eye. Over the past few months, it has strengthened its relationships with several key players in the transportation world, including Uber and Lyft. This move seems to suggest that Didi is prepared to launch a full-scale assault on its competitors’ market shares.
The deployment of self-developed robotaxis by SoftBank-backed company is likely to appeal to Chinese carmakers, who arearlss in the development of autonomous vehicles. The companies are also planning to work with Chinese carmakers on deploying the robotic cars 24/7 on a global scale by 2025. This would provide a convenient and cost-effective alternative mode of transportation for customers and augment the network of millions of drivered cars that SoftBank has already established.
Some experts believe that the auto industry will experience a “robotaxi Renaissance” in 2020. This is due to the fact that many large companies, such as Uber and Didi Chuxing, have already created autonomous driving subsidiaries. These companies are now looking for ways to commercialize their technology, and they have found willing partners in OEMs.
The announcement of Uber’s intention to buy Volvo cars is a clear indication that the company is serious about its ambition to establish itself as a leader in the field of autonomous driving. The partnership will allow Uber to access Volvo’s extensive experience in this area, and together they will be able to develop hundreds of driverless cars with backup systems. This move marks an important step forward for Uber, and shows that it is committed not only to developing the technology itself, but also to putting it into practice as quickly as possible.
The concept vehicle is a daring departure from the norm, and it’s clear that Didi is committed to making self driving a reality for its customers. By designing a car that is entirely autonomous, Didi is paving the way for future smart transportation solutions.
In a time when many companies are outsourcing certain jobs that can be done by machines, Didi is leading the way in automating maintenance services. Their autonomous cars were recently shown getting washed, charged and checked at their service center without any human help. This not only saves on costs, but it also eliminates the need for potentially dangerous human interactions.
Didi is betting big on autonomous vehicles, and its new venture, Kargobot, is proof. With a fleet of 100 autonomous trucks, Kargobot’s revenues already surpassed 100 million yuan ($14.6 million) by March this year. This new business signals Didi’s ambitions to stay at the forefront of the self-driving revolution – and it’s not alone. At the same event where Didi announced Kargobot, Uber also unveiled its own autonomous trucking business: Otto. These two companies are expected to battle it out for dominance in this rapidly growing field.
