DiDi Autonomous Driving recently announced that it has received US$149 million investment from GAC Group and Guangzhou Development District Investment Group Co., Ltd. DiDi Autonomous Driving will spend in R&D, pursue open collaborations in the industry and build a sustainable and open industry ecosystem. DiDi aims to expedite the commercial use of autonomous driving technology.
“As a company in the automotive industry and a pioneer in the global new energy sector, GAC Group has built a strong foothold across the entire value chain. Furthermore, we are glad to further strengthen our strategic partnership with GAC Group,” said Zhang Bo, CTO of DiDi and CEO of DiDi Autonomous Driving. “The strong support from GAC Group will help us accelerate the construction of an open, sustainable, and mixed dispatching network for shared mobility. This provides users with safe, convenient, and cost-effective autonomous driving services.”
“The GAC Group has always prioritized intelligent manufacturing. Moreover, it has remained at the forefront of the industry in its dedication to autonomous driving.,” said Yu Jun, Vice President of GAC Group and Chairman of GAC Capital. “DiDi Autonomous Driving has proven exceptional strengths in technology and scenario-based data systems. Moreover, we are confident in its growth potential. We look forward to working with DiDi Autonomous Driving to jointly facilitate the transformation of the transportation and automotive industries.”
Currently, DiDi Autonomous Driving operates Robotaxi services in certain areas of Guangzhou and Shanghai with a mixed dispatching model. This combines both autonomous vehicles and human-driving vehicles. The Robotaxi service has been safely operating for 1,200 consecutive days.
