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Urban Transport

Didi Chuxing – How China’s ride-hailing leader aims to transform the future of mobility

Zhongguancun. That is the name of the district in the north-west of Beijing, where more than a dozen billion-dollar “unicorn” startups set up their offices in the midst of a series of software parks. From here, Chinese entrepreneurs are seeking to revolutionize the way we communicate, exercise, shop and – get from A to B. The latter mission has been taken up by Jean Liu, President of Didi Chuxing, the world’s largest ride-hailing service. Originally founded in 2012 as “Didi Dache” and renamed to “Didi Chuxing” after a merger with “Kuaidi Dache” in 2015, the company is best known to many as the Chinese Uber. Didi versus Uber Yet, that comparison fails to capture both the scale of Didi’s success as well as the scope of its business. Even though it is (so far) little known outside of China, Didi is much more than just another ride-hailing company in the…

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Events

Better Transport, Better World? – Sustainable Transport at the 2nd World Transport Convention

Can better transport create a better world? This question was at the heart of this year’s World Transport Convention. From 19-21 June 2018, Chinese and international companies, ministries, institutions and related representatives in the transportation sector gathered to discuss this question and exchange views on recent developments, new products and new technologies. GIZ representatives Sandra Retzer, Dr. Christoph Nedopil and Sebastian Ibold, as well as Siemens Senior Management Consultant for Cyber Security, Thomas Gereke, contributed with keynote speeches on sustainable transportation as well as data management and data security in Germany. A large exhibition hall on the first floor, mostly filled with Chinese companies, displayed their recent technological developments. Different booths showcased the latest street sweepers and garbage trucks. Alibaba allowed visitors to follow real-time data showing Beijing’s traffic jam hot spots on multiple large screens in a futuristic setting. A gallery at the end of the hall gave on…

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Urban Transport

Shared mobility services and car-sharing in China

[Image: Cenitt] Globally, the transport and mobility sector is undergoing a holistic transformation, due to technological innovation, new business models, changing customer demands and political pressure to tackle environmental challenges. One possibly very sustainable development has been the growth of ride- and car-sharing services within the last years. This article provides an overview of the current dynamics of China`s car-sharing market, focusing on B2C business models and on providing an outlook on what the future of mobility may look like. The need for shared mobility in China is high In China, car ownership rate is still very low, e.g. when compared to Germany. In early 2016, the car density in Germany was 552 passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants, which means that a total of 45.7 million cars rolled on Germany`s roads. In comparison, Chinese roads carried about 163.1 million passenger cars in the same year, which equals a car density of 118 cars per…

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Electro Mobility

2nd Asia New Energy Vehicle Summit – A brief Overview

China’s continuous ambitions towards a green transport revolution have shaped the general tenor of a sustainable transport system. Furthermore, financial as well as non-financial incentives have had a notable impact on an expanding green transport network. Despite political efforts, this brought about a rebound in the vehicle-related industry, where the uptake of new energy vehicles has been swift in recent years. However, alternative mobility is still at an embryonic stage and requires further promotional endeavours. Based on the thematic relevance, this years 2nd two-day conference Asia New Energy Vehicle Summit taking place from June 2-3 in Beijing, brought together experts from the industry and research contributing to a more sustainable transport development. Following a thematic structure each speaker was addressing one of the four key topics, starting with Global Status and Tendency of New Energy Vehicle Industry, giving not only a general outlook for future developments of NEVs, but also…

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Urban Transport

Car2go launches China’s first free-floating carsharing service in Chongqing

After the successful introduction of car2go in 32 cities around the world, the subsidiary of German car manufacturer Daimler AG launched its service in the central-Chinese megacity Chongqing on 15 April 2016. With 400 cars available in a designated service area in downtown Chongqing (approx. 60 km2), it is not only the first Chinese city, but the first city in Asia to include free-floating carsharing in its urban transport system. As one of the forerunners in promoting carsharing, Chongqing can be awarded as a lighthouse for the overall development of new mobility services in China. In comparison to conventional station-based carsharing, which is available in various Chinese cities since 2009, free-floating services do not require its users to pick up and return the vehicles at designated carsharing stations. Instead the cars can be parked on every legal parking space within a geographically defined service area. The cars can be booked…

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Events

Feasibility of Carsharing Concepts in China

From the emergence of Chinese carsharing services in 2009 until today, more than 330,000 people signed up for a carsharing membership in China – equivalent to almost one third of the total number of carsharing members in Germany, one of the world’s largest carsharing markets. Considering that carsharing in China is still at an embryonic stage, its dynamic development indicates potential for further growth. Nevertheless, public and political awareness of carsharing are still low, its legal conditions are unclear and uncertainties related to the feasibility of large-scale applications remain. In this context the Research Institute of Highway (RIOH) with the support of GIZ carried out a study on the legal conditions for carsharing services in China. The results of the study were presented at the one day workshop “Feasibility of Carsharing Concepts in China: Analysis of the Political and Legal Framework” on 28 January 2016, organised in a round table…

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Climate Change

Beijing and Berlin Agree on Further Cooperation on Electro-Mobility

China and Germany have a long-standing cooperation on the development of electric vehicles including policies, standardization, demonstration projects, environmental assessments and market development. A number of bilateral cooperation projects are running under the framework of the Sino-German Electric Vehicle Strategic Partnership. The Sustainable Transport Programme of GIZ provides support for this partnership and is currently implementing the Sino-German cooperation projects with Chinese partners from national ministries and research institutes. Beyond that, GIZ established a dialogue platform for cities in China and Germany with the aim of facilitating the exchange and deepening the cooperation between municipalities of the two countries. As the capitals of China and Germany, Beijing and Berlin keep a fruitful relationship as Partner-Cities for 21 years. Both cities announced their willingness to establish a broader cooperation in various topics, among them is the promotion of electric vehicles. The mayor of Berlin, Mr. Wowereit and Vice Mayor of Beijing,…

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Urban Transport

Fewer Cars, More Mobility: Can Carsharing Work in China?

In response to China’s rapidly increasing vehicle population, the first carsharing operators are entering the Chinese market to complement the range of alternatives to car ownership. From the emergence of such services in 2009 until today, more than 330,000 people signed up for a carsharing membership in China – equivalent to almost one third of the total number of carsharing members in Germany, one of the world’s largest carsharing markets. Considering that carsharing in China is still in an embryonic stage, its dynamic development indicates potential for further growth. Nevertheless, public and political awareness of carsharing is low, and uncertainties related to the feasibility of large-scale applications remain. The Sino-German Cooperation Project on Electro-Mobility and Climate Protection published the article “Fewer cars, more mobility: Can carsharing work in China?” in the technical journal “International Transportation”. Find the full article (p. 26-29) in issue 1, May 2015, available as free download…

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Urban Transport

“It is not our task to make car ownership most convenient”

Part 2 of the Interview with Dr. Friedemann Kunst, former Head of the Transport Department, in Berlin Q: Urbanisation in China is progressing at a pace much faster than ever experienced in Germany. Do you think Chinese cities can nevertheless learn from the post-war development of Berlin? What are mistakes to be avoided and success factors to be considered in terms of the transportation system and Berlin’s spatial development? A: Urban and transport development are very closely related. The kind of transport system we need depends highly on how the city’s spatial design is structured. We have always considered that it’s the role of the public administration to ensure access to essential places and institutions. It is all about organising the city in such a way that people have good access to the places they need and want to go such as working, shopping, health, education and leisure activities. This…

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Events

Urban Transport Development Forum – Day 1 – Sustainable Urban Transport Policy

Learning from international experience in urban transport policy and discussing their relevance for Chinese cities was the main topic of the Urban Transport Development Forum in Beijing. The forum was organised by the Chinese Ministry of Transport, the World Bank and GIZ. The first day on 10th March 2015 focussed on the question how sustainable urban transport policy can be implemented successfully. Dr. Friedemann Kunst (former Head of Transportation Department, Berlin State Senate) presented Berlin’s strategic approach to urban transport planning. He stressed that transport policy in Germany has come a long way: “Since the late 1990s cities in Germany have realised that it is impossible to combine the ideas of a car-friendly city and a city that is attractive and resource-efficient.” The turnaround, with an increase in environmental friendly transport modes was only possible through a participatory planning process that managed to create a unique commitment to sustainable transport…

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