Uber在中国遭遇的挑战

    居住在上海的纪源资本（GGV Capital）合伙人符绩勋表示，快的和嘀嘀加起来，已经垄断了中国的交通类应用程序的大众市场。“在中国，真正的大众市场并不是Uber的豪车市场。”符绩勋本人也是新加坡打车应用程序GrabTaxi的投资人之一，GrabTaxi主要瞄准的是东南亚市场。符绩勋表示，中国企业面临的主要挑战，是要通过能与Uber的高端服务相比匹敌的新付费服务进入高端市场。相反，Uber则要付出一番努力才能获得中国老百姓的青睐。

    从目前来看，Uber的表现还算不错。Uber大概一年前才在中国开始运营，现在它已经在北京、上海、成都等六个城市提供豪车出租服务。今年夏天，它又推出了稍便宜一些的Uber X服务。另外它还在北京推出了一项拼车服务，允许私人车主通过Uber与其他乘客拼车。

    Uber的亚洲业务负责人艾伦•潘表示，Uber在上海推出的前六个月里，它的发展要比在纽约、巴黎和新加坡等地快得多，Uber在北京的使用率甚至还要更多。他说：“Uber以合理的费用提供了更高的品质标准。我们看到，Uber在中国的发展速度超过了它在任何一个国家的速度。”

    目前看来，中国市场的庞大，让Uber有充足的空间和中国的竞争对手群雄逐鹿。不过随着Uber不断扩展其业务和足迹，以及本地企业对高端服务虎视眈眈，它们之间的冲突似乎不可避免，甚至有可能要在国内国外“两线作战”。快的打车的联合创始人乔•李表示，快的首先把目光锁定在中国，然后是中国的周边国家，最终可能还会在美国抢占一席之地。

    目前看来，打车应用大战还主要集中在中国的大城市里，而且价格战有愈演愈烈之势。卡拉尼克认为：“最终我们会建立可持续性的业务。总而言之，我们会努力在中国提供最便宜、最可靠的叫车服务。它一定会变得很有意思。”（财富中文网）

    译者：朴成奎

    Jixun Foo, a partner with GGV Capital, who lives in Shanghai, says Kuaidi and Didi combined have cornered the mass market for transportation in China. “In China, the real mass market is not an Uber black car market,” says Foo, who is an investor in Singapore based GrabTaxi, another cab-hailing firm focused on Southeast Asia. The challenge for the Chinese companies, Foo says, will be to move upmarket with new, paid services that compete with Uber premium service. Conversely, Uber will have a hard time gaining mass appeal in China, Foo says.

    For now, Uber has done just fine. The company, which began operations there about a year ago, is offering its marquee black car service in six major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. This summer, it launched its less expensive Uber X service, and it began a ride-sharing service in Beijing to allow private individuals to pick up passengers.

    Allen Penn, who heads Uber’s business in Asia, says that in its first six months in Shanghai, Uber grew faster than it had after launching in New York, Paris or Singapore. Its adoption in Beijing was even faster. “Uber is offering a higher quality standard for a modest premium,” Penn says. “We are seeing growth that is outstripping anything we are seeing around the world.”

    The massive Chinese market seems to have enough room for Uber and its homegrown rivals for now. But the companies—with Uber set to expand its offerings and footprint, and the local players chasing premium services—are on a collision course in the world’s largest market, and perhaps, beyond. Kuaidi’s Lee says the company has its sights on China first, and neighboring countries next. Eventually, though, it may seek a foothold in the United States.

    For now, the battlefield is in China’s mega-cities where the price wars are raging. “Ultimately you have to have a sustainable business,” Kalanick said. “At the end of the day, we are going to try to offer the cheapest most reliable rides in China. It’s going to be interesting.”