Didi Chuxing Rolls Out World’s First Custom-Built EV for Ride-Hailing
Leading mobile transportation provider Didi Chuxing unveiled its new model D1 on Nov. 17, the world’s first electric vehicle custom-built for ride-hailing. Co-developed with Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD Company Limited (BYD), the D1 will start rolling out to Didi’s leasing partners in major Chinese cities in the coming months.
The compact car D1 comes with a L2 assisted driving system with above-the-grade manufacturer safety set-ups, such as Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Pedestrian Collision Warning (PCW.)
Such features fit in with Didi’s complete Driver Monitoring System (DMS), which is a steering wheel with safety alerts and response functions, and an AI voice and video monitoring and analysis system that uses DiDi’s facial and object recognition technology.
The D1 carries an all-in-one driver assistance system that interacts with drivers through the dashboard pad while also featuring an on-board voice assistant and a smart steering wheel. The vehicle is capable of traveling at 12.8 kwh/100 km, giving the D1 the highest energy efficiency level among its peers in the industry.
Didi is currently working with over 3,000 leasing and fleet partners to secure quality drivers and provide leased cars, energy services and financial and insurance support to them.
As the world’s largest and one of the most under-supplied transportation markets, China’s shared mobility accounts for less than 3% of the nation’s total addressable mobility needs.
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“Shared intelligent mobility is the optimum solution for the future of transportation. With the continued development of autonomous driving and AI technology, people will be able to enjoy a better travel experience through shared mobility,” said Cheng Wei, founder of CEO of Didi.
Didi also said the company aims to raise the penetration rate from 3% to 8% by 2022.
