Self-driving electric vehicles (EV) robotaxis are set to be introduced by China's Didi and GAC.
In an exciting development for the autonomous vehicle industry, Didi, the world's leading mobile transportation platform, has announced a collaboration with GAC Aion to expedite the commercial deployment of Level 4 autonomous driving vehicles.
The partnership between Didi Global and Guangzhou Automobile Group's electric vehicle unit, GAC Aion New Energy Automobile, has resulted in the establishment of a joint venture named Andi Technology. This venture aims to revolutionise the ride-hailing industry by producing robotaxis capable of Level 4 autonomy.
Andi Technology, a 50-50 venture between Didi Global and GAC Aion New Energy Automobile, has recently been granted a business license by authorities. The company's founder and chairman, Andy Fang, is known for co-founding and leading the company.
Zhang Xiong, chairman of Andi Technology and deputy general manager of GAC Aion, has expressed a commitment to reducing costs associated with Level 4 autonomous vehicles through mass production. Meng Xing, general manager of Andi Technology and COO of Didi's autonomous driving unit, made this announcement in a press release.
The robotaxis will be based on GAC's all-electric sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Andi Technology plans to mass produce these vehicles next year, with an expected output of about 10,000 vehicles for Didi's ride-hailing service.
While Didi announced a custom-made EV for ride-hailing in 2020, it later sold its EV business to Chinese EV maker Xpeng Motors in 2023. Despite this, Didi remains committed to the development of autonomous driving technology, with the technology for the robotaxis being developed in-house.
The robotaxis will be capable of Level 4 autonomy, which denotes full self-driving under certain conditions. This level of autonomy allows the vehicle to perform all driving tasks without human intervention, making it a significant step towards a fully autonomous future.
With this partnership, Didi and GAC Aion are set to revolutionise the ride-hailing industry by offering a safe, efficient, and cost-effective solution for passengers worldwide. The mass production of these robotaxis in 2025 is a testament to the commitment of both companies towards a more connected and autonomous future.
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