Tech empowers premium mobility service

Hello, I am Gu Tao, CEO of Mercedes-Benz Quality in Motion/StarRides. I am very pleased to share how technology has changed human mobility.

First, I have strong personal attachment to science and technology. After graduating from university in 1998, I immersed myself in Zhongguancun and worked for Lenovo for 18 years. I have seen the clouds in North Carolina, smelled the air in Silicon Valley, witnessed the glory of the internet era, and was a part of the development of mobile internet. In 2016, I joined the emerging internet-based ride-hailing business. Amid the tides of science and technology, I have observed changes and enjoyed the good life science and technology have given people.

Speaking of mobility, I would like to say the history of mobility is part of the great history of science and technology. From being able to walk only tens of kilometers and riding hundreds of kilometers on the backs of domesticated horses to experiencing technological evolutions a hundred or so years ago when Karl Benz invented the first automobile in 1886, disruptive revolutions changed the way people travel with the development of science and technology.

From the invention of the automobile until now, the industry has gone through a hundred years of evolution and has entered a new era of four modernizations: electric, intelligent, internet-based and shared. Shared ride-hailing has rapidly grown into an industry. At present, there are three types of enterprises eager to reach the summit of the industry: Internet enterprises such as Didi and Uber, technology companies such as Google and traditional vehicle enterprises. We can see almost all automobile factories are transforming from traditional manufacturers to mobility service providers. Internet Plus and the traditional manufacturing industry have generated numerous beautiful sparks.

Internet Plus is profoundly changing our lives. During the "two sessions" this year, Premier Li Keqiang emphasized the continuous upgrading of the manufacturing industry and the development of emerging industries, and comprehensively pushed forward Internet Plus.

So, what kind of spark will Internet Plus and premium mobility produce?

China has become the world's largest ride-hailing market, but premium ride-hailing is still a no man's land. With the upgrading of domestic consumption, there are gaps in business travel for middle and high-end users to be filled.

Traditional premium mobility service is mostly based on offline booking, and lacks the application of internet technology. It is expensive and not affordable for most people.

Twenty years ago, Alibaba altered the retail industry with internet technology.

Ten years ago, Tencent upended the communications industry with internet technology.

Today, the traditional premium mobility industry is also being transformed by internet technology.

When you are assigned to receive a very distinguished guest, you don't have to call your friends all over the city to see who has a luxury car. Just pick up your phone and enter the guest’s flight number, a chauffeur will pick up your guest and get your guest to the destination. You can concentrate on the important meeting.

When you are too busy to pick up your children from school or accompany your parents on their trips, all you need to do is to pick up your phone and type the starting place and destination, and you will have an exclusive chauffeur pick up your children and take them safely to or from school, or to be with their parents on a pleasant trip. We have not just professional mobility services, but considerate and exclusive courtesy.

And you don't have to worry whether the price is too high, or whether vehicles will arrive on time. The intelligent order dispatching system built on internet technologies such as big data and machine algorithm learning will choose the nearest vehicle, select the most convenient route and make the whole process traceable to guarantee security for you. And internet technology has greatly improved the efficiency of mobility companies' operation services, greatly reduced the cost of vehicles and enabled more people to enjoy premium mobility services at reasonable prices.

StarRides is a rare premium mobility company in the industry that uses an intelligent order dispatching system based on reservation, achieving optimization of order dispatching with up to one month appointment.

Science and technology create good things, while service delivers them to people.

The National Development and Reform Commission and the State Administration for Market Regulation have jointly issued a document explicitly requesting speeding up the development of the modern service industry, vigorously cultivating new industries, new formats and new modes of service industry, and improving service efficiency and service quality.

Premium mobility service itself is a particularly good undertaking. When our guests are satisfied with the service, they can’t help but smile, and even bow to the chauffeurs. Our chauffeurs often receive thank-you notes from guests.

Food, clothing, housing and transportation are people’s basic needs; among them transportation is an important part. And premium mobility is an important part of a good life.

Consumers of premium mobility are by no means a minority. People’s yearning for a better life is universal.

Especially in the post-epidemic era, people pursue a better life and cherish what they have. The premium mobility market thus welcomes new development opportunities.

China is increasing the construction of smart cities, of which smart mobility is an indispensable part. In the future, cities will make use of increasingly mature 5G technology, big data technology, artificial intelligence, intelligent interconnection and other mobility technologies to improve urban and inter-city traffic and enhance people's mobility safety, convenience, economy and comfort.

StarRides service has started operations in Hangzhou,Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an and Chengdu, with more cities to come in the future. We have a 10-year plan to offer premium mobility service to travelers around the globe. Technologies enrich people's mobility experiences, while mobility scenarios expand with evolving business models. We will make it a priority to apply innovation excellence to StarRides.

Ten years ago, you couldn't imagine a mobile phone without a keyboard.

Ten years later, you can't imagine a car with no driver.

We are feeling the energy of science and technology and witnessing the steps forward on our dreams in this era.

We can imagine a day in the future: no matter when and where you are, just mention your destination to your mobile phone or smart watch. Five minutes later, there will be a self-driving car parked at the door, clean and tidy, with a cup of hot coffee inside. You can sit in the car and work, have fun, or rest and reach your destination easily and smoothly. The whole process may only cost you 50 yuan (this is just an example).

This is my dream, a beautiful dream about mobile, intelligent, premium mobility.

The process of human civilization is the pursuit of a good life. The prosperity of science and technology, culture and city give us the right to pursue a good life. I believe premium mobility in the future is sure to become a service everyone can enjoy. StarRides is willing to work with more partners to forge ahead for better intelligent mobility services.