Didi Makes Autonomous Driving Unit a Separate Entity

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By Tianyu M. Fang and Qian Tong / Aug 05, 2019 12:19 PM / Business & Tech

Photo: VCG

Didi Chuxing has formed an independent company for its automated driving division in a bid to focus on research and development, product application, and business development in the sector, the Chinese ride-hailing giant announced Monday.

The new company, whose name has not been disclosed, will integrate Didi’s existing technical resources, increase investment in core technologies, and deepen cooperation with both upstream and downstream industry chains, Didi said.

The move follows Didi’s decision to set up independent entities for its ride-hailing and car-owner service units as the company expands into new sectors. Didi established its automated driving team in 2016 and the division now employs more than 200 people in both China and the United States.

American ride-hailing app Uber underwent a similar restructuring in April when the San Francisco-based company established the Advanced Technologies Group, or ATG, after receiving a $1 billion investment from SoftBank, Toyota, and Denso.

Zhang Bo, Didi’s current CTO, will become the new firm’s CEO while retaining his current position, the announcement said.

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