Chinese ride-hailing firm Didi’s joint EV venture with Li Auto has filed for bankruptcy, bringing a four-year partnership to an end.
The company, Beijing Judian Chuxing Technology, which was 51% owned by Didi while 49% was held by Li Auto, submitted the bankruptcy application to a Beijing court on Thursday.
Didi and Li Auto did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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Didi and Li Auto, previously known as Chehejia, established the EV venture in 2018 to develop and manufacture customised smart electric vehicles for ride-hailing services.
It was also among a series of partnerships Didi struck with major automakers including Volkswagen, Toyota and BYD with plans to adopt more EVs with autonomous driving technologies in its fleets.
While Didi and BYD launched a co-developed EV model D1 in 2020, most of the collaborations have made little progress.
Scrutiny from Beijing for suspected violation of data security has forced Didi to de-list from the New York Stock Exchange and reined in its business since last July.
However, the ride-hailing firm has quietly pushed ahead with a car-making project, code-named “Da Vinci,” Reuters reported in June.
It was also in advanced talks with state-backed Sinomach Automobile to buy a third of its electric-vehicle unit, Reuters reported then.
- Reuters with additional editing by Sean O’Meara
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