China’s largest ride-hailing platform Didi Chuxing has opened its ride-hailing platform to more third-party mobility service providers in a move to meet robust user demand, the company said in a press release on Monday.
The announcement came as Didi agreed to host the ride-hailing services of FAW and Dongfeng Motor, both of which are among China’s top five automakers, on its platform. The company appears to be expanding its offerings to make itself indispensable to passengers across the country; in mid-June, Didi began doing this by integrating the services of a smaller firm in Chengdu to its platform.
FAW and Dongfeng’s vehicles have been on China’s roads for decades, but their ride-hailing services are still in the pilot stage in a handful of cities.
In China’s mobility services sector, demand currently exceeds supply. Last week, Didi raised its peak hour rates for private rides.
Aside from bringing smaller players onto its platform, Didi has also invested in a new ride-hailing platform, OnTime, which was launched by Guangzhou Auto and Tencent to first serve Guangzhou’s commuters and consumers. OnTime will also be connected to Didi’s platform.
In all, Didi claims to have 550 million registered users across China.
Didi’s move follows Meituan’s aggressive entry into the sector. Meituan teamed up with niche players like Caocao and Ucar and quickly rolled out ride-hailing services in several dozen cities.
