DiDi to launch electrified ride hailing fleet in Mexico
International transportation services company Didi Chuxing (DiDi) will soon kick off a number of new initiatives on smart and sustainable urban mobility in Latin America, one being a fleet of hybrid (HV) and electric (EV) vehicles to be launched in Mexico in 2020.
Operating in Mexico since April 2018, the company offers ride-hailing, taxi-hailing and food delivery services in 32 cities throughout the country, covering approximately 50% of the nation’s population.
“We believe shared transportation is an integral part of the future of public transportation,” says Juan Andrés Panamá who is Operations Director in Mexico (pictured).
During phase one of the electrification initiative, over 700 HVs and EVs from international automakers such as China’s BYD and France’s Renault will be available on the app through cooperation with local leasing partners and drivers.
“The models that will be used as 100% electric vehicles are BYD e5 and Renault Zoe 2020, along with other hybrid vehicles that our drivers may sign-up for in the platform,” Mr. Panamá told Global Fleet.
2020 Renault Zoe (source: Renault)
Approximately 200 of the vehicles will be exclusively for DiDi motorists.
“We are inspired and humbled by what we have learned in Mexico, which is one of the world’s most complex and exciting transportation hubs…We will continue to invest in building a fair and sustainable ecosystem for new transportation," says Mexico General Manager Martin Mao.
DiDi already operates the world’s largest EV fleet in China, where it boasts nearly 1 million EVs available on its platform which represents more than 40% of all EV miles driven in the country.
Didi Chuxing headquarters in Beijing (source: Didi Chuxing)
With the support of data analysts and engineers from DiDi’s business intelligence and maps units, DiDi Mexico will start to provide data insights and advanced AI capabilities to address some of the country’s most challenging mobility issues. This will also help in the overall evaluation of the dynamic traffic patterns in Mexico City.
In 2019, the number of trips people took with DiDi in Mexico increased by nearly 350% year-over-year. Meanwhile, the company states that it already operates the world’s largest EV fleet through its platform in China (nearly 1 million vehicles), accounting for over 40% of all EV miles driven in the country.
