Didi – Impact Lab

Electric Vehicles, Science & Technology News, Transportation, Uber

China built the first electric car designed exclusively for ride-hailing

November 27, 2020

The D1 is a partnership between Didi Chuxing and BYD

Two of China’s top companies have joined forces to design, develop, and build an electric car for the express purpose of ride-hailing.

The vehicle is an adorable green hatchback called the D1, and it was developed by Didi Chuxing, the top ride-hailing company in China that notoriously defeated Uber in 2016, and BYD, one of the leading electric vehicle manufacturers. The D1 will have a range of 418 km (260 miles) as judged by NEDC (New European Driving Cycle). They also explained some of the more interesting design touches that make this vehicle particularly well-suited for app-based ride-hailing.

Continue reading… “China built the first electric car designed exclusively for ride-hailing”

App, China, Crime, Transportation, Uber

A massive Chinese ride-sharing service removed passenger attractiveness ratings after a woman was killed

May 18, 2018

Didi suspended its ride-sharing service after a 21-year-old woman was murdered. Carlos Jasso/Reuters

Didi Chuxing, the Chinese ride-sharing giant, said it would remove creepy passenger ratings from its app after a woman was allegedly murdered by her driver.

Didi’s Hitch service lets people share rides, but was suspended last week after the murder.

Didi said it would also remove passenger photos and was even considering voice recording every trip to resolve passenger disputes.

The ride-sharing service has 450 million users, and has little competition after Didi acquired Uber’s Chinese business in 2016.

Continue reading… “A massive Chinese ride-sharing service removed passenger attractiveness ratings after a woman was killed”

Automation, Automobiles, China, Driverless cars, Electric Automobile

Didi and Volkswagen partner to develop a ‘purpose-built’ fleet and scale up autonomous driving capabilities

May 8, 2018

Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing is nearing an agreement with Volkswagen (VW) to deploy a “purpose-built” fleet of VW vehicles in its home country, according to The Wall Street Journal.

As part of the joint venture, the German carmaker would provide around 100,000 vehicles, electric and autonomous vehicle technology, and manage the fleet.

Continue reading… “Didi and Volkswagen partner to develop a ‘purpose-built’ fleet and scale up autonomous driving capabilities”