Didi announces Auto Alliance with 31 car firms for operator platform

Didi Chuxing announced on Tuesday the launch of the Didi Auto Alliance with 31 partners from the automotive industry, in bid to establish a full-capacity vehicle operator platform. Key areas of cooperation will include auto sales and leasing, auto finance, auto service, fleet operation, car-sharing, co-development of vehicles and industry standards

Leveraging its expertise in big data analytics and operational experience, Didi and its partners will explore other areas of joint research, such as the design of purpose-built new-energy shared-car fleets and charging networks for electric vehicles, according to a statement the company sent to the Global Times.

“China could play a pivotal role in transforming the existing automotive and transportation structure, which has been in place for more than 100 years. The alliance is a gateway for our transportation industry to elevate itself from a global leader in scale, to a global leader in innovation,” Didi CEO Cheng Wei was quoted as saying in the statement.

On Monday, Didi announced its expansion into the Mexican market, the first time the company had entered an overseas market on its own, and its second expansion into the Latin American market after its buyout of Brazilian 99.

Didi started its operations in Toluca, a city of 800,000 people that is 60 kilometers from the Mexican capital. Didi is integrating new features such as a security panic button that directly connects to police and emergency contacts in case of danger.

Didi Chuxing will take on Uber, which dominates the Mexican market. This will be the second time for the two companies to compete directly in the same market. Uber sold its operations in China to Didi in 2016, marking the beginning of a downward trend for its overseas business.

Uber recently sold its operations in Russia and Southeast Asia to local rivals.