According to a Tuesday report by 36Kr, Didi has recently established its autonomous truck business as its own separate entity, naming it KargoBot, and successfully secured approximately RMB 450 million ($61.7 million) in a funding round. Investors, including domestic cashmere maker Erdos Group, participated in the funding. This strategic move aims to provide KargoBot greater autonomy in piloting robotrucks for commercial operations with partners, sources familiar with the matter revealed. Didi will retain its position as the largest shareholder in the newly formed entity. Presently, Didi operates 150 autonomous trucks on Chinese roads, specializing in transporting bulk cargos such as coal, particularly in the northern region. The report outlines Didi’s ambitious plans to expand its autonomous truck fleet to over 1,000 in the next two years. Notably, Didi had previously spun out its autonomous driving unit into an independent company in August 2019, three years after the unit’s inception. [36Kr, in Chinese]
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