Tesla will be one of the cars Didi Chuxing offers in its premium ride-hailing service trial in Tokyo, Japan. The real-world miles Tesla can gather through the China-based ride-hailing service will prove beneficial for its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving initiatives, and help CEO Elon Musk achieve his goal of having a Tesla Robotaxi fleet in the next few years. Didi premium ride-hailing vehicles may be one of the steps needed to help establish his autonomous ride-sharing network.
Elon Musk’s all-electric vehicles will be joining Mercedes Benz and Toyota’s Lexus during Didi Chuxing Premium’s trial run in Tokyo. According to Reuters, Didi—a transportation company based in Beijing, China—plans to kickstart a premium version of its service later this month in the Japanese capital. The leading mobile transportation platform already offered its taxi-hailing services in other parts of Japan, including Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya. Didi Premium will be making its debut with the Tesla Model S, the Mercedes Benz S-class sedan, and Toyota’s Lexus LS series sedan.
The GM of Didi Chuxing Liu Haijiang shared that more than 1 million cars registered on its platform are electric vehicles. Haijiang explained that the cost-per-mile of electric vehicles was one of the main factors many drivers using the platform chose to use electric vehicles.
Didi Chuxing has 1 million electric cars registered on its platform, Liu Haijiang, GM of the firm's innovation center, said at a conference today. The main reason why ride-hailing drivers choose electric vehicles is the cost-per-mile advantage, Liu added. @DidiGlobal pic.twitter.com/GLaoJkIqh4
— Yicai Global 第一财经 (@yicaichina) November 18, 2019
In contrast, not many drivers registered electric vehicles for ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft in New York City, reported the Business Insider. The Tesla Model 3 struck a similar deal with New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission in the United States earlier this month. Tesla’s compact sedan was approved for taxi service in the Big Apple. The all-electric Model 3 is the first full EV welcomed into NYC’s taxi fleet and allowed to dawn the familiar yellow-and-black color scheme associated with public car services in the city.
Teslas joining other ride-hailing services is advantageous for Elon Musk and his plan to establish a Robotaxi fleet by 2020, stated Tech Crunch. The Model S and Model 3 will learn valuable information during rides for Didi Premium and New York City. Through its multiple sensors, cameras, and other technological innovations, Tesla's electric vehicles can gather real-world driving data for Tesla’s autonomous ride-sharing fleet and pass it on through the company's Neural Network.
Working with Didi Chuxing and New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission will help Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving suite learn the best routes around the city, driver’s usual behavior on the road, and other data. All the information Teslas can gather from Didi, and the Taxi and Limousine Commission could help develop a better Autopilot system and Full Self-Driving features.
Featured Image Credit: Tesla Autonomy Day
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Claribelle Deveza
Longtime writer and news/book editor. Writing about Tesla allows me to contribute something good to the world, while doing something I love.
