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China orders Didi ride hailing app pulled from stores over privacy issues
China has ordered Didi's ridesharing app pulled from app stores for allegedly violating personal data collection rules.
Ridesharing giant Didi Chuxing will offer robotaxi service in Shanghai
Self-driving taxis are quickly becoming a reality well beyond the US. Chinese ridesharing giant Didi Chuxing has unveiled plans for a pilot robotaxi service in Shanghai's Jiading District. It'll only include 30 cars with Level 4 autonomy (full self-driving in limited areas and conditions) and will start with a mix of driverless and helmed vehicles to deal with the "complex traffic and road conditions" of the city. Nonetheless, there's a real chance you'll be the only human in the vehicle if you're hailing a ride to Shanghai University.
Didi halts carpooling across China after passenger's murder
Didi Chuxing has suspended its Hitch carpooling service across all of China in the wake of a driver raping and killing a passenger on August 24th. The ridesharing company wanted time to address the "many deficiencies" with its customer service approach that appear to have cost the victim her life, including the "cumbersome and rigid" process of sharing information with police. A customer had complained to Didi about the the driver's sexually threatening behavior a day before, but the company didn't follow through with an investigation that might have banned the driver in time to prevent the tragedy.
Didi passenger murdered following safety policy failure
Didi Chuxing's safety issues still aren't over. Police have confirmed that a driver for the service raped and killed a woman passenger in Wenzhou, China on August 24th. The ridesharing company said it was "deeply sorry" for the incident in a statement, but acknowledged that its safety protections fell short. From an initial glance, it appeared that the tragedy was avoidable.
Didi sets new ridesharing safety measures following murder
China's Didi Chuxing is rolling out new safety measures for its Hitch carpooling service after a driver allegedly killed a passenger last week. Drivers will need to verify their identities through facial recognition before each trip -- the alleged murderer, who was also found dead over the weekend, was using his father's Hitch account when he picked up the victim. Drivers using Didi's other ridesharing programs must pass a facial recognition test before each shift as well.
China ridesharing giant opens a self-driving car lab in the US
Didi's ever-expanding ridesharing empire might be centered in China, but it's still willing to head overseas to advance its goals. The company is opening an AI lab in Mountain View, California for the sake of its self-driving car ambitions. This doesn't mean that Didi's about to launch in the US (outside of its Lyft partnership), of course -- rather, it's to attract talent in a hotbed of autonomous driving research. And in at least one case, it appears to have scored a coup.
China's largest ride-hailing company is investing in bicycles
The largest ride-hailing service in China just made a big investment in a different kind of transportation program: bicycle sharing. According to a report from TechCrunch, DiDi Chuxing is kicking off a "multi-layered partnership" with Ofo -- an app-based bicycle sharing outfit with a network of over 70,000 bikes in 20 cities. The details of the investment are pretty bare, but DiDi Chuxing says the companies will "explore strategic cooperation in urban rideshare, including offering a quality bike-sharing experience on DiDi's platform." In other words, the company's ride-hailing app may include a bicycle rental option in the near future.
Ride-hailing apps like Uber will be legal in China soon
Considering how much business Uber does in China, it's kind of hard to imagine that ride-hailing apps aren't exactly legal in the country. Well, they weren't, but they're about to be. Chinese regulators have passed a new law that clears up the legal grey area companies like Uber and Didi Chuxing operate in. Starting on November 1st, ride-hailing apps will be legal, so long as they follow a few rules.
Apple invests $1 billion in Chinese ride-hailing service Didi
In a bid to better understand China, Apple has announced a $1 billion investment in Chinese Uber-like service, Didi Chuxing. The country's homegrown ride-hailing service already has plenty of cash, and was recently valued at over $25 billion. According to Reuters, it has 87 percent of the market of private car hailing across China. Apple CEO Tim Cook said the investment would help the company better understand the Chinese market -- oh and it's about cars.
Lyft and partners make it easy to get a ride in Asia
If you're taking a trip to China or Southeast Asia, Lyft could be a valuable addition to your arsenal of travel apps. Starting this week, it will be able to access rides you can hail through its partners Didi if you're in China and Grab if you're in SE Asia. You won't have to download a separate app or set up a new account, and you can even pay in dollars with the credit card you already have on file. It also works the other way around: folks from those regions can simply fire up Lyft whenever they visit the US and pay in their own currency.
China's ridesharing services will require special licenses
Ridesharing services are big in China, but they've run into many of the same regulatory concerns you see everywhere else -- officials are worried about holding drivers accountable for their behavior. Accordingly, the country's Ministry of Transport has posted draft rules that toughen the requirements for these app-based transportation outfits. Companies will need insurance and special licenses to operate, and drivers will both need to commit to only one service and maintain a certain level of experience. Data has to be stored within China and shared with authorities, too. Vehicles will also have to seat seven people or less, so you won't be hailing a party bus or stretch limo. The rules could change (they're open to public feedback), but it won't be surprising if these core principles remain in the final document.
Lyft partnership will help you get a ride in China
Ridesharing services don't usually translate well across borders. Even if you can use the same company, you may have to pay in a different currency -- how do you know what that trip will cost until you've paid for it? Lyft might have a way to set your mind at ease. It just unveiled a partnership with China's biggest ridesharing firm, Didi Kuaidi, that will make it easier for travelers in both China and the US to hail rides. If you're an American visiting China, you can request a Didi car through the Lyft app in dollars; accordingly, a Chinese visitor to the States can use Didi to get a Lyft vehicle while paying in yuan. This ideally gives you both access to a service with a lot of coverage (Uber's Chinese footprint is small compared to Didi's) and prices you can understand.
