Han Ximin

ximhan@126.com

DIDI Chuxing (DiDi) and GAC Group inked a deal Wednesday to expand their partnership on ride-hailing operations, fleet management, autonomous driving and other areas of smart automotive technology.

Under the agreement, DiDi and GAC, China’s sixth-largest carmaker by sales, will jointly explore opportunities in fleet operations, with a focus on fleet expansion and management, development of new mobility products, and collaboration on smart driving, including autonomous driving technology.

The parties will also share expertise on and explore innovative models for integrated auto services and solutions, including marketing, after-sales services, smart recharging, car-sharing and auto-financing services.

In April 2018, DiDi launched DiDi Auto Alliance by bringing together 31 auto industry partners, including GAC, to jointly build an open platform for automotive operations.

As an investor in OnTime, a mobile transportation platform newly launched by GAC, DiDi will leverage its data capabilities and deep operational expertise to support new projects in various areas, including technology development, supply and demand management, transaction strategy, operation and driver services, user experience optimization, marketing and brand building, customer service and response mechanisms.

“GAC Group is an important partner in the DiDi Auto Alliance. The agreement is an extension of our long-term collaboration,” said Cheng Wei, DiDi’s founder and CEO.