Uber在中國遭遇的挑戰

????居住在上海的紀源資本（GGV Capital）合伙人符績勛表示，快的和嘀嘀加起來，已經壟斷了中國的交通類應用程序的大眾市場。“在中國，真正的大眾市場并不是Uber的豪車市場。”符績勛本人也是新加坡打車應用程序GrabTaxi的投資人之一，GrabTaxi主要瞄準的是東南亞市場。符績勛表示，中國企業面臨的主要挑戰，是要通過能與Uber的高端服務相比匹敵的新付費服務進入高端市場。相反，Uber則要付出一番努力才能獲得中國老百姓的青睞。

????從目前來看，Uber的表現還算不錯。Uber大概一年前才在中國開始運營，現在它已經在北京、上海、成都等六個城市提供豪車出租服務。今年夏天，它又推出了稍便宜一些的Uber X服務。另外它還在北京推出了一項拼車服務，允許私人車主通過Uber與其他乘客拼車。

????Uber的亞洲業務負責人艾倫?潘表示，Uber在上海推出的前六個月里，它的發展要比在紐約、巴黎和新加坡等地快得多，Uber在北京的使用率甚至還要更多。他說：“Uber以合理的費用提供了更高的品質標準。我們看到，Uber在中國的發展速度超過了它在任何一個國家的速度。”

????目前看來，中國市場的龐大，讓Uber有充足的空間和中國的競爭對手群雄逐鹿。不過隨著Uber不斷擴展其業務和足跡，以及本地企業對高端服務虎視眈眈，它們之間的沖突似乎不可避免，甚至有可能要在國內國外“兩線作戰”。快的打車的聯合創始人喬?李表示，快的首先把目光鎖定在中國，然后是中國的周邊國家，最終可能還會在美國搶占一席之地。

????目前看來，打車應用大戰還主要集中在中國的大城市里，而且價格戰有愈演愈烈之勢。卡拉尼克認為：“最終我們會建立可持續性的業務。總而言之，我們會努力在中國提供最便宜、最可靠的叫車服務。它一定會變得很有意思。”（財富中文網）

????譯者：樸成奎

????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.”