What A Didi-Volkswagen Partnership Could Mean For China's Auto Industry

Cheng Wei, chairman and chief executive officer of Beijing Xiaoju Keji Didi Dache Co., speaks during the 4th World Internet Conference on Dec. 3, 2017 in Wuzhen, China. Hail a ride from DiDi Chuxing (China's version of Uber) and you're likely to be picked up by an ordinary person driving any one of China's dozens of mass production passenger cars. Expect the driver to be yammering away on the phone, while a good luck charm--likely a Daoist eternal knot--swings from the rearview mirror. But order a ride from DiDi's Premier service, and a dark-suited chauffer will show up in a polished luxury sedan, most likely a black Volkswagen Lamando. Complimentary bottles of own-label DiDi Premier mineral water await.