China's Didi Global to roll out self-developed robotaxis by 2025 (updated)

Guotai Haitong Securities Co

13/04/2023 11:04

(Adds detail, background)
    By Josh Ye
       HONG KONG, April 13 (Reuters) - Chinese ride-hailing
giant Didi Global said on Thursday that it is working with
Chinese carmakers to develop its own robotaxis, which it aims to
put into service by 2025, revealing a concept one with robotic
arms it called "Didi Neuron".
    The company said that it is collaborating with multiple new
energy carmakers in China on developing robotaxis.
    "We hope they can enter Didi's network and provide services
by 2025," Didi Autonomous Driving COO Meng Xing said at a
company event that was livestreamed online.
    "We hope they will be domestically produced. We hope the
supply chain is controllable, and even 90% of the key components
inside can be domestically produced," he said.
    He also showed off a robotaxi concept car called "Didi
Neuron", with robotic arms that can help passengers pick up
luggage.
    The blue and white vehicle had no driver's seat, maximizing
space for passengers. 
    Didi also announced a lidar sensor and a car computing
device at the event, which showcased Didi's most significant
developments for its autonomous driving plan in years as it
looks to make progress after almost two years of regulatory
troubles.
    Didi began to develop and test autonomous driving vehicles
(AV) in 2016 and its AV unit has raised hundreds of millions of
dollars in investment from firms such as IDG Capital and Guotai
Junan.
    Didi allows users in some parts of Shanghai and the southern
city of Guangzhou to hail self-driving cars through its main
app. Swedish carmaker Volvo, owned by Geely  GEELY.UL , supplies
Didi's self-driving fleet. 
    Didi ran afoul of Chinese regulators when in 2021 it pressed
ahead with a U.S. stock listing against their wishes, sources
previously told Reuters.
    China's cyberspace watchdog then launched cybersecurity
investigation of the firm that forced it to take down its 25
mobile apps from app stores and suspend new user registration.
    It later delisted from New York and was fined $1.2 billion
over data-security breaches. In January, it was allowed to
resume new user registrations. 
 

 (Reporting by Josh Ye, writing by Brenda Goh; Editing by
Bernadette Baum)
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