Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing unveils robotaxi concept car after years of development
- The concept car called the Didi Neuron has the shape of a minibus with a length of 4.5 metres
- Didi says the space for passengers is 50 per cent larger than normal taxis as the vehicle does not have a driver’s seat
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing has unveiled its first prototype robotaxi, the result of years of hard work by the company to develop the futuristic technology.
The concept car called the Didi Neuron has the shape of a minibus with a length of 4.5 metres. It also has robotic arms inside to help move luggage and pick up water bottles for passengers, according to Meng Xing, chief operating officer of the company’s self-driving unit, who unveiled the concept vehicle in Shanghai on Thursday.
Meng added that the space for passengers is 50 per cent larger than normal taxis as it does not have a driver’s seat. There was no information at this stage as to when or if Didi will deploy the car for service.
Meanwhile, Didi also debuted a new business named Kargobot, which will integrate its autonomous driving capabilities with logistics and freight transportation.
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Didi’s push into autonomous driving dates back to 2016 when it set up a dedicated unit. In 2020, it started allowing users to hail self-driving cars in designated areas in Shanghai, and launched an automated operation and maintenance centre in the city earlier this year, offering battery charging for autonomous vehicles, repairs and parking.
It made the service available in part of Guangzhou city in March this year. Meng said that the areas for such operations in Shanghai expanded seven-fold between 2020 and 2022.
Didi has acquired public road testing licences in other cities and regions, including Beijing, Suzhou, Hefei and California in the United States.
Didi continued to push forward its car-making ambitions despite undergoing a cybersecurity investigation by Chinese authorities between 2021 and 2022.
Didi survived an 18-month-long crisis after its main app Didi Chuxing was returned to China’s app stores in January this year. Beijing ordered the removal of Didi’s apps in July 2021 after its New York listing triggered the cybersecurity review that led to a fine of US$1.2 billion.
It partnered with Volvo in 2021, which supplied cars for Didi to develop its autonomous driving technology.
In August 2022, rival Baidu received the green light to launch so-called robotaxi services in the cities of Wuhan and Chongqing, marking the first time that fully driverless cars took to mainland Chinese roads. The search engine and AI firm received approval to deploy 10 autonomous vehicles in a 60-square-kilometre economic development zone in Beijing in March.
