Didi Chuxing announces charging for all

Didi Chuxing, the world’s largest mobility platform has announced, a joint venture to build its own charging networks for electric vehicles (EVs). As well as covering its own fleet of vehicles, it will also serve families and the public.

Founder and CEO Cheng Wei made the announcement at a sustainable energy summit jointly sponsored by the United Nations and the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organisation (GEIDCO), which is a key partner in DiDi’s new EV infrastructure programme.

The event gathered energy ministers, as well as leading business and NGO executives from Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia, to rally for the UN 2030 goals. UN Secretary General António Guterres addressed the symposium by delivering an opening speech and said: “Global connectivity allows for inclusivity for energy to reach everybody’s needs.”

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), more than 750,000 EVs were sold worldwide last year, compared to 547,220 sold in 2015. China has surpassed the US to be the largest carrier of electric vehicles, accounting for 40 per cent of the EVs sold in the world, twice as big as the US.

DiDi is the world’s largest online transportation platform with more than 450 million users and 21 million drivers. As many as 25 million rides are completed on its network daily, twice as many as the rest of the world combined. The company is also working to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) technology into integrated urban traffic management systems across China.

Over 260,000 EVs are running on DiDi’s network out of a global total of two million; making DiDi the world’s largest EV fleet operator. Cheng said the number will rise to 1 million by 2020.

“The future of transport is new energy vehicles, and ride-sharing will be a key link in promoting new energy on the road,” said Cheng.

“With the advance of new energy and new transmission technology, humanity has the chance to build a global ‘internet’ of energy,” said Cheng. He called for businesses and governments to work together to achieve the integration of “three internets” - the internet of information, the internet of energy, and the internet of transportation.

Besides its renewable energy projects, DiDi also invests heavily in environmentally-friendly mobility technologies, from carpooling to on-demand minibus services, to address urban congestion and pollution. In 2016, DiDi’s main carpooling services reduced road carbon emission by 1.44 million tons.

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