Didi to publish safe ride standards

Ride-hailing platform Didi Chuxing said on Monday it has worked with a state-backed industry group to create China’s first nationwide guidelines for ride-hailing platforms dealing to prevent transmission of Covid-19 during rides. The guidelines are closely based on measures Didi has already adopted, promoting a Didi model for safe ride-hailing that includes AI-based mask checks… Continue reading Didi to publish safe ride standards

Chinese driverless buses to hit European streets for first time

Jan 22, 2020 4 min read Pensioners at the central Trikala Square on September 4, 2019. (Image credit: TechNode/Eliza Gkritsi) The small city of Trikala, Greece offers some quintessential provincial scenes: bustling farmers’ markets with vibrant colors and old men with bushy mustaches chatting on park benches. Delve deeper and you’ll discover public wifi, smart… Continue reading Chinese driverless buses to hit European streets for first time

Nio-backed ride-hailing app Dida looking to raise $300 million

Jan 17, 2020 2 min read (Image credit: Dida Chuxing) Chinese ride-hailing platform Dida Chuxing is seeking up to $300 million in pre-IPO funding from investors including Tencent, Chinese media reported Thursday. Why it matters: Beijing-based Dida is the second-largest ride-hailing service in China and one of the few to say it is profitable. If able… Continue reading Nio-backed ride-hailing app Dida looking to raise $300 million

The Chinese startup bringing robotaxis to the masses

Dec 6, 2019 3 min read People lining up to test out a WeRide robotaxi in Guangzhou Science City on Nov. 28, 2019. (Image credit: WeRide) One year since Google-backed Waymo started picking up passengers for its autonomous ride-hailing service in Phoenix, Chinese startup WeRide has bet big on driverless mobility with its own driverless… Continue reading The Chinese startup bringing robotaxis to the masses

Hyundai partners with Pony.ai, Via to launch self-driving fleet in US

Oct 28, 2019 2 min read In this image from Pony.ai, a fleet of self-driving Hyundai KONA Electric SUVs will provide a free ride-sharing service to the community of Irvine, Calif. starting Nov. 4, 2019. (Image credit: Hyundai) Hyundai Motor Group is partnering with Chinese self-driving startup Pony.ai and US mobility firm Via to launch… Continue reading Hyundai partners with Pony.ai, Via to launch self-driving fleet in US

Didi opens transit datasets to public for urban planning use

Oct 21, 2019 2 min read Zhang Bo, CTO of Didi Chuxing, spoke at the China National Computer Congress in Suzhou on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. (Image credit: Didi Chuxing) Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing is opening up its significant stores of transit data with the release of two major datasets in order to improve… Continue reading Didi opens transit datasets to public for urban planning use

Didi to launch autonomous taxi service in Shanghai

Aug 30, 2019 1 min read Didi’s robotaxi at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on August 30, 2019. (Image credit: TechNode/Shi Jiayi) Ride-hailing giant Didi will launch a pilot robotaxi fleet in Shanghai, allowing passengers to book rides in autonomous vehicles through its app, the company said on Friday. Why it matters: Didi is… Continue reading Didi to launch autonomous taxi service in Shanghai

CHINA VOICES | Ofo’s final fight

Jul 5, 2019 4 min read An ofo bike lies on the street in Shanghai on April 4, 2019. (Image credit: TechNode/Shi Jiayi) A version of this first article appeared in our members-only newsletter on June 22, 2019. Become a member and read it first. Ofo flew too close to the sun. Their dockless bikeshare model… Continue reading CHINA VOICES | Ofo’s final fight

Briefing: Nonprofit buys abandoned rental bikes for school kids in Myanmar

Jun 28, 2019 1 min read Myanmar entrepreneur buys unused bicycles for poor children – Bangkok Post What happened: Lesswalk, a nonprofit initiative launched by Myanmar-based tech entrepreneur Mike Than Tun Win, has bought 10,000 unused rental bikes left over from shuttered bike rental businesses including Obike, Ofo, and Mobike from Singapore and Malaysia. Lesswalk… Continue reading Briefing: Nonprofit buys abandoned rental bikes for school kids in Myanmar

Mobike, Hellobike, Didi allowed to bring new bikes in Guangzhou

Jun 5, 2019 2 min read A commuter rides past a row of shared bicycles in Shanghai on March 22, 2019. (Image credit: TechNode/Cassidy McDonald) Guangzhou has become the first Chinese municipal government to reverse a ban on additional rental bikes, the popularity of which resulted in tangles of broken frames littering major cities. The… Continue reading Mobike, Hellobike, Didi allowed to bring new bikes in Guangzhou