Chinese ride giant DiDi has debuted the DiDi Neuron, a robotaxi concept. It has an arm on the back for lifting luggage or waking up sleeping passengers. DiDi is working with Chinese automakers to develop its own self-driving taxis, which it plans to bring into service in 2025.
Di Di Global
DiDi Global said on Thursday it was developing its own self-driving taxis with Chinese automakers and plans to introduce them in 2025.
The autonomous drive unit of the Chinese giant also presented the concept of a robotaxi, i.e. a driverless taxi, called DiDi Neuron. It includes a robotic arm on the back that can pick up luggage or wake up passengers if they have fallen asleep.
DiDi said it is working with new energy car makers, including electric car makers, to develop the robotaxi.
The Beijing-based company has announced an autonomous trucking company called Kargobot, which it says has more than 100 driverless trucks operating. DiDi said it is focusing on logistics and freight services.
DiDi has also released two pieces of hardware designed for autonomous driving. The first, jointly developed with Chinese technology company Benewake, is called DiDi Beiyao Beta LiDAR. Lidar stands for light and distance sensing technology. Lidar systems send lasers that bounce and can measure distance. These returning beams are processed by an algorithm to create a 3D representation of surrounding objects – a key technology that enables autonomous vehicles to understand their surroundings.
The second development is a computing platform for autonomous cars called Orca.
DiDi robotaxi’s ambitious goal and new products underscore its desire to go beyond mere rides into new areas, including the development of autonomous driving technology.
DiDi founded the autonomous driving unit in 2016 and turned it into a subsidiary in 2019. Since then, it has raised external funding from sponsors, including SoftBank. The company is testing its robotaxis in various parts of China. Last month, it began commercial operations in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou with its robotaxis.
China supports the development of driverless cars. Governments in major cities like Beijing and Guangzhou have allowed companies from Baidu to WeRide and Pony.ai to test their self-driving cars.
DiDi’s plethora of announcements comes after nearly two years of intense scrutiny by the Chinese government, indicating further signs that regulatory crackdowns may be easing.
The transportation giant ran into conflict with regulators after it went public in the US in June 2021. A few days later, Chinese authorities launched a cybersecurity investigation at the company. The DiDi app was eventually removed from Chinese app stores and new user registrations were ordered to stop. Didi was delisted in the US and is now seeking a public offering in Hong Kong.
In January, DiDi apps returned to app stores in China, signaling the end of the worst scrutiny. Last month, the company said it plans to expand to more cities in China.