U.S. car rental service company Uber quietly entered the trial period in Shanghai

Absrtact: In the public taxi application by the Beijing Municipal Transportation Committee incorporation, the U.S. car rental service company Uber quietly entered Shanghai, began to enter the probation period. Uber has opened services in more than 40 cities worldwide on four continents. After entering the Chinese Taipei, Korea Seoul, Singapore market

In the public taxi application by the Beijing Municipal Transportation Committee incorporation, the U.S. car rental service company Uber quietly entered Shanghai, began to enter the probation period.

Uber has opened services in more than 40 cities worldwide on four continents. After entering the Chinese Taipei, Korea Seoul, Singapore market, Shanghai is Uber into Southeast Asia's fourth stop.

In the past, foreign Internet enterprises in China, most of them will encounter the curse of the acclimatized, in foreign business operation mode, often can not be good localization and defeat.

Will Uber have the same experience? Or will it overcome the spell?

Very "flavor" user experience

Uber ready to enter the beginning of the experience period, Uber has launched the Chinese web site, released the Chinese version of the app, and to the Uber registered users posted in English mail, to express their intention to come to Shanghai.

According to the official message, Uber currently serves only in the former French concession and Xintiandi area of Shanghai, and the vehicle source is relatively limited. According to a taxi application leader in Shanghai to find the source of information, currently in Shanghai, the source may be below 10 vehicles.

To attract users is its model, Uber selection of models are high-end flavor on the grade of "black Car" (the dark luxury sedan). Models include Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8.

The price is more expensive. Taxi starting price of 40 yuan, the minimum consumption of 50 yuan. The pricing rules are divided into two kinds: 1, 4.6 yuan per kilometer, 2, 0.9 yuan per minute. As a result, users pay about 2-3 times the cost of a typical taxi and are currently limited to US dollars. The reason given by Uber is, "as an international service provider." ”

Like other regions, user accounts need to bind credit cards, the whole use of credit card settlement, in the user after the bus, Uber again to the user to send the bill, the reason to do so, I hope the user "noble leave."

Is it possible to get through in China?

More expensive than taxis, with a credit card and a dollar payment, these look westernized enough, but whether it pleases Chinese users is a problem.

A taxi application people think, Uber choose Shanghai is also more ingenious, "more foreigners in Shanghai, the service of foreigners is very good." He is very optimistic about the foreigner who Uber service in Shanghai.

Another benefit for Uber is the marketing and user experience. "In Shanghai, he will also use Facebook and Twitter to do foreign marketing," the person predicts. ”

But how to please the larger base of Chinese users?

Shanghai Netizen searches the surrounding Uber vehicle source

According to Uber's operating model, its competitors are not the previous idea of tick-tock taxi, rocking recruit car and other taxi applications, but such as easy to use cars, AA car rental service providers such as.

In the operational strategy, Uber is mainly proprietary vehicles, easy to be mainly with the private car or large leasing company cooperation. In China, is this relatively heavy asset company's path still going through?

The people said that it would take some time to study the strategy and how to compete with high-end users in China using cars.

However, Uber not bad money. Not long ago, a document disclosed that the Uber C round of financing 360 million U.S. dollars, investors include Google Ventures, TPG and Benchmark. This financing is mainly used to expand new markets, marketing, fighting protectionism and anti-competitive. Shanghai should be one of the new markets for expansion.

Another cause of the acclimatized is the management team. "Currently see the management team are foreigners, if the focus on the foreigners in China is OK, if all foreigners, do the Chinese market basically no." said the person.