Ride-hailing Didi sets its sights on ‘purpose-built’ hybrid vehicles
Performance levels for ride-hailing and car-sharing service vehicles could be dialled down significantly with ‘boxier’, slower rides
Beijing/Detroit — China’s Didi Chuxing, already disrupting the global ride-hailing market and taking on US rival Uber, has its sights set on an even bigger potential prize: designing and getting built its own dedicated fleet of Didi cars. The firm has put together teams of automotive designers and engineers, and is now looking to work with established car makers to develop "purpose-built" vehicles, people close to the company said, a move that could shake up the motor industry in China and beyond. The move underscores how tech firms, from software makers for self-driving vehicles to car-sharing platforms, are disrupting traditional vehicle makers such as Ford Motor and Nissan, amid major shifts towards electric cars and pay-per-use models. In response, some global vehicle makers are now starting to bill themselves as "mobility" companies that do more than just build and sell vehicles. Didi officials say the disruptive change sweeping the industry means there is a clear mutual intere...
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