On April 7th, it was announced that DiDi’s autonomous driving joint venture with GAC Aion, named Guangzhou Andi Technologies Co., Ltd., has been granted a business license. This marks the establishment of the first joint venture in China between an L4 autonomous driving company and an automaker focused on developing a production-ready Robotaxi. The first vehicle model has completed product definition and is currently undergoing joint design and styling reviews, with plans to begin mass production next year.
Guangzhou Andi Technologies is headquartered in Huangpu, Guangzhou, with DiDi Autonomous Driving and GAC Aion holding equal 50% stakes. The Chairman is Zhang Xiong, Deputy General Manager of GAC Aion, and the General Manager is Meng Xing, COO of DiDi Autonomous Driving. Andi Technologies will leverage the strengths of both parties to launch its first commercially available L4 vehicle by 2025.
The initial unmanned vehicle from this collaboration will be positioned as a crossover SUV. It will be based on GAC Aion’s AEP3.0 high-end electric platform and Starlink high-end electronic and electrical architecture. Additionally, it will incorporate DiDi’s full suite of autonomous driving software and hardware technology, safety redundancy systems, and the latest generation of cabin entertainment systems tailored for unmanned travel services. The vehicle’s performance indicators are designed with reference to the specific needs of shared mobility vehicles, considering the operational core aspects throughout the entire service process. It will feature a rear-seat multimodal interaction system and targeted enhancements for rear-seat passenger space and passive safety.
The first batch of vehicles is planned for mass production next year, fully equipped with DiDi’s autonomous driving unmanned intelligent operational system, Huiju Port. Future plans involve gradually deploying tens of thousands of vehicles, which will be integrated into DiDi’s ride-hailing network through a mixed dispatch model.