Geely-backed ride-hailing company Caocao is preparing to expand its robotaxi footprint, with plans to deploy thousands of autonomous vehicles globally starting next year, looking to grow a fleet of 100,000 by the end of the decade.
Speaking at the Beijing auto show, CEO Gong Xin said the company will begin rolling out its purpose-built “Eva Cab” robotaxis in 2027, mostly likely in cities including Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, and several locations in mainland China. Large-scale production and is expected to ramp up by 2028, with rollout occurring almost immediately.
The Eva Cab is designed specifically for autonomous ride-hailing rather than adapted from an existing passenger vehicle. It sports a simple interior that eliminates things such as door pockets, to reduce the likelihood of passengers leaving belongings behind. Gong said the stripped-down design and lack of high-performance components should allow the vehicle to cost less than a privately owned car. The company did not disclose pricing info.
Caocao is majority-owned by Geely Holding, and is reportedly China’s second-largest ride-hailing platform behind Didi. Geely has been working to expand into international markets, and Gong suggested Caocao expects to be among a small group of robotaxi providers still operating in China by 2030.
Caocao isn’s alone in its ambitions. Companies including Xpeng are also pushing their robotaxi development, with plans to produce hundreds or thousands of vehicles within the next 12 to 18 months.
Caocao’s expansion could also set up a direct rivalry with Tesla, which is developing its own purpose-built autonomous vehicle, the Cybercab. Tesla has said it intends to gradually scale production before rapidly expanding its driverless fleet.
But for a couple of sketchy, short-lived gigs right out of college, Natalie Neff has had the good fortune to spend the entirety of her professional life around cars. A 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 1972 VW Beetle, 1999 Ducati Monster and a well-loved purple-and-white five-speed Schwinn currently call her garage home.