The Chinese introduced an electric car designed specifically for taxis and car sharing

Chinese automaker BYD and China’s largest trucking service, DiDi Chuxing, have unveiled the D1 four-door electric hatchback. The novelty is designed specifically for use in commercial passenger transportation and car sharing services.

The manufacturer does not disclose the full technical characteristics of the electric car. It is indicated that the maximum energy efficiency of the D1 electric motor reaches 12.8 kWh per 100 km of distance. At the same time, the designers add that the range of an electric vehicle from a single battery charge is 418 kilometers according to the NEDC standard.

From the front passenger side inside the cabin, the D1 is greeted with a medium-sized touchscreen. Behind the wheel is an additional smaller display. Two more touchscreens are located on the back of both headrests. With their help, passengers can access navigation and other information.

The D1 was equipped with a second level driver assistance system. She will be able to warn about departure from the lane, automatically slow down and prevent a potential collision with a pedestrian. The engineers have also provided a driving control system that will ensure that the driver always keeps his hands on the steering wheel and monitors the situation on the road. By the way, as conceived by the designers, using a voice control system and buttons built into the steering wheel, the driver will be able to serve orders without being distracted by the mobile phone screen. An additional feature of the vehicle is the right-hand sliding rear door. According to the manufacturer, the use of such a design will prevent accidental strikes by motorcyclists and cyclists when boarding and disembarking passengers in city streets.

For the passengers themselves, it is possible to set the required temperature in the cabin through the mobile application before getting into the car, as well as turn on or off the heated seats.

The joint development of the D1 electric car took two years. DiDi Chuxing is one of the largest passenger transport operators in the world with 10 billion trips per year. BYD is one of the largest electric vehicle manufacturers in China. According to the Russian news agency TASS, on August 25 of this year, the DiDi service began operating in Russia: Kazan became the first city where it appeared. In addition to Russia, DiDi operates in Australia, Japan, Brazil (under the 99 brand), Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Panama. To design the D1, the companies used data collected from 550 million registered passengers and 31 million drivers.

Going forward, DiDi Chuxing and BYD want to create an automotive ecosystem that will provide mobility for billions of passengers without harming the environment.