DiDi Autonomous Driving, GAC AION’s joint venture to launch first L4 commercial Robotaxi in 2025

Beijing (Gasgoo)- DiDi Autonomous Driving and GAC AION jointly announced the approval of the business license for their joint venture company, Guangzhou Andi Technology Co., Ltd., on April 7. 

Photo credit: DiDi Autonomous Driving

This marks the establishment of the first joint venture in China between an L4 autonomous driving tech company and an automobile manufacturer, aimed at mass-producing Robotaxi vehicles. The joint venture’s inaugural model has finalized product definition and is undergoing joint design reviews, with plans for mass production scheduled for next year.

Headquartered in Guangzhou's Huangpu district, Andi Technology is jointly owned by GAC AION and DiDi Autonomous Driving, with each holding a 50% stake. Zhang Xiong, Deputy General Manager of GAC AION, serves as Chairman of the joint venture, while Meng Xing, COO of DiDi Autonomous Driving, is appointed as General Manager. 

Leveraging their respective strengths, Andi Technology will integrate mature experience in new energy vehicle manufacturing and cutting-edge autonomous driving technology to launch its first commercialized L4 autonomous driving model by 2025.

The inaugural autonomous vehicle, positioned as a crossover SUV, is built on GAC AION's AEP3.0 high-end all-electric vehicle platform and Xingling high-end E/E architecture. It will feature DiDi's comprehensive autonomous driving hardware and software solutions, safety redundancy systems, and the latest in-cabin entertainment systems tailored for unmanned travel services. 

Designed to meet passenger travel needs, the vehicle's performance indicators are tailored to the characteristics of ride-share vehicles, with a design focused on operational core processes. It will be equipped with a rear-row multimodal interaction system and targeted enhancements for rear-seat space and passive safety.

The initial batch of the vehicles is planned for mass production next year and will be fully compatible with DiDi Autonomous Driving’s smart operation system, Huiju Port. Future plans include gradual deployment of tens of thousands of vehicles and integration into DiDi's ride-hailing network, providing users with safe, comfortable, and cost-effective autonomous mobility services through a hybrid dispatch model.