DiDi Autonomous Driving has received an investment of $149 million from Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. (GAC) and Guangzhou Development District Investment Group Co.
According to a statement, DiDi’s autonomous unit will continue its investment “in research and development, accelerate the implementation of related products, pursue open collaborations in the industry chain, build a sustainable and open industry ecosystem and expedite the widespread commercial use of autonomous driving technology.”
DiDi Autonomous Driving already operates robotaxis in areas of Guangzhou and Shanghai. The autonomous division said earlier this year it plans to brings its first robotaxi to its ride-hailing platform by 2025.
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Zhang Bo, chief technology officer of DiDi and CEO of DiDi Autonomous Driving, said, “The strong support from GAC Group will help us accelerate the construction of an open, sustainable and mixed dispatching network for shared mobility, providing users with safe, convenient and cost-effective autonomous driving services.”
Yu Jun, vice president of GAC Group and chairman of GAC Capital, said, “DiDi Autonomous Driving has proven exceptional strengths in technology and scenario-based data systems. We are confident in its growth potential and look forward to working with DiDi Autonomous Driving to jointly facilitate the transformation of the transportation and automotive industries.”
DiDi Autonomous Driving is part of ride-hailing giant DiDi, which went public in the United States just over two years ago. Prior to that DiDi attracted a $500 million investment for the autonomous unit led by SoftBank Vision Fund.