DiDi Starts Driverless Trials of Next-Gen R2 in Beijing and Guangzhou

BEIJING — DiDi Autonomous Driving has begun fully driverless service trials with its next-generation Robotaxi R2 in selected demonstration areas of Beijing and Guangzhou. Rides are booked in the DiDi app.

The R2 was jointly developed with GAC Aion and is described as a purpose-built robotaxi for global deployment. DiDi said the vehicle uses its Level 4 software and hardware, with 33 sensors and a triple-domain fusion central computing platform. The company said the R2 meets five-star C-NCAP and Euro NCAP safety standards and uses a multi-layer redundancy system.

Vehicles delivered from January have been on public-road testing in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shenzhen, and other cities. Fully driverless passenger trials were opened at the end of August in designated zones, building on 24-hour autonomous pilot operations in Guangzhou’s Huangpu district. Cabin features listed by DiDi include a 17.3-inch ceiling screen and voice controls for trip start, climate, windows, and lighting.

The trials are not a nationwide commercial launch. Service is limited to demonstration areas in the two cities. DiDi has said the vehicle maker bears legal responsibility for the automated driving state under the applicable Chinese rules.

Li Wei, China desk. Li Wei is a senior correspondent covering Chinese AV stacks, Apollo, and overseas expansion. Previously covered autos and tech for regional wires; based in Shanghai.