Didi Autonomous Driving recently announced the completion of its Series D funding, with a total amount reaching 2 billion Chinese yuan. The list of investors in this round is impressive, including the Zhongguancun Science City Technology Growth Fund, the Beijing Information Industry Development Investment Fund, the Beijing Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund, as well as strategic partners GAC Group, Guangzhou Guanghua Fund, and Didi itself.
This funding will mainly be used to increase investment in artificial intelligence (AI) research and development, promote the application of L4 autonomous driving technology, aiming to help the transportation industry achieve high-quality development.
Focusing on L4 Transformation: Enhancing Mobility Safety and Efficiency
Zhang Bo, co-founder and CEO of Didi Autonomous Driving, stated that L4 autonomous driving technology is one of the most important technological transformations in the AI era over the next decade, which will significantly improve mobility safety, efficiency, and user experience. He emphasized that Didi Autonomous Driving has accumulated nearly ten years of experience in three key areas: AI research and development, mass production, and operations. The company will continue to adhere to responsible technological innovation, while exploring new employment opportunities, and steadily advancing the development of autonomous driving.
Testing Progress and Mass Production Plans
In terms of technology application, Didi Autonomous Driving has launched full-scenario, fully driverless testing in Beijing and Guangzhou this year. The driverless vehicles have shown stable performance in complex travel scenarios such as morning and evening rush hours, late nights, and sudden rain, demonstrating the maturity of their technology.
In addition, Didi Autonomous Driving is collaborating with GAC Aion to develop a new generation of pre-installed autonomous driving vehicles. This model is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2025, after which demonstration applications will begin in cities like Beijing and Guangzhou, marking an important step in its commercialization process.
