Tesla challenger CHJ Auto teams up with Didi to build ride-sharing cars
CHJ Auto, founded by internet entrepreneur Li Xiang, abandons its plans for an ultra-compact car to build vehicles with Didi Chuxing, the market leader in China’s ride-hailing market
What will a purpose-built car for ride-pooling look like?
Roomier interiors so strangers do not invade each other’s space, long battery range to cut down on recharging, and self-driving technology in the future.
CHJ Auto, the Beijing-based electric-start-up founded by internet entrepreneur Li Xiang, has teamed up with Didi Chuxing, the market leader in China’s on-demand transportation market, to develop what would probably be the first car designed specifically for ride-pooling.
“The goal of our cooperation is to bring down trip costs, the lower the better,” Li, who before CHJ had built Autohome Inc. into China’s biggest automotive web portal, told reporters on the sidelines of the Newtop 100 CEO Summit 2018 in Beijing on Saturday. “In just two years, Chinese ride-sharers will see a significant step-up in services”
CHJ is among the electric car start-ups that have sprouted up in recent years after the Chinese government started handing out special manufacturing permits to non-traditional carmakers with the aim of injecting innovation and competition. These tech-savvy start-ups are chasing a vision of clean, connected and self-driving vehicles, inspired by how billionaire Elon Musk had succeeded with Tesla Motors to upend the traditional auto industry,
With the Didi tie-up, CHJ will scrap an original plan to develop a low-priced ultra-compact electric car with swappable battery packs aimed at those upgrading from electric bicycles. It will still go ahead with a luxury seven-seater SUV targeting mid- to high-end users, with deliveries slated for next year.