Liu Sheng, an automotive developer in China, said he recently received an offer from a headhunter who is responsible for hiring talent for Didi’s automobile manufacturing business. The post salary is about 500,000 – 800,000 yuan ($78467 – $125547), and Liu thought that Didi has already started to establish its own R&D teams in Beijing and Shenzhen.
Didi has been preparing for its move into autonomous driving for quite some time. On April 19, 2021, Didi Auto Launched its new hardware platform “Didi Shuangzixing” at the Shanghai Auto Show, which was fully upgraded from multiple dimensions including electronic components, vehicle and experience.
The new platform, which is installed on Volvo XC90 models, will become the main configuration of Didi’s new-generation self-driving cars, enabling multi-layer rapid switching emergency braking system in four aspects: core high-performance sensors, onboard autonomous driving system, remote assistance system and deep compatibility of front-mounted production vehicles.
At the end of 2020, Didi debuted the D1 model in collaboration with BYD (a Chinese automobile company), which is primarily targeted at the ride-hailing market. For the D1 model, Didi primarily put forward the demand, while BYD was responsible for technology and production. Furthermore, as part of the collaboration, BYD and Didi invested jointly in the establishment of a joint venture business, Meihao Chuxing (Hangzhou) Automobile Technology Co., Ltd. The company is primarily involved in the design and R&D of ride-hailing vehicles, with BYD accounting for 65% of the shares and Didi accounting for 35%.
