Uber Car Service Arrives in Beijing
Adding Beijing as its 100th city, car-on-demand service Uber arrived this week, seemingly just in time for the 2014 Beijing Auto Show.
In one of the most boring, softball interviews we've ever read, Uber's Head of Global Expansion Austin Geidt said "Who am I to say I know how Beijing works more than the local who really knows the fabric?" That's good because clearly she doesn't know a lot about Beijing, calling it a city of "11 million" people. Oh boy.
Base rate for the cars is RMB 18, but the minimum fare is RMB 30, as indicated on its website. There's also a charge of RMB 0.70 per minute and RMB 3.85 per kilometer. For now, service is limited to Chaoyang District, although using the site's fare quotation function, for a trip to the airport from the China World Trade Center, the price was given as RMB 300. And by the way, for now payment is with international credit cards or Paypal. That may provide an advantage for Uber users visiting Beijing from elsewhere, but perhaps not for Beijingers themselves.
We didn't book a car, but, bearing in mind the current limited service area, we requested Shuangjing to Gulou. That was quoted at over RMB 400 because the system identified Shuangjing as being in Tianjin. For the China World Trade Center to the Kempinski Hotel came in at RMB 43-54. Cars used, as indicated on the website, are the Audi A6, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and the Lincoln Town Car Signature, the latter a model just introduced to China this week.
Beijing is Uber's fourth city in China. Users in Shanghai indicate that it's you-get-what-you-pay-for: expensive, but good service (if you can get a car). Might be worth a try for a special occasion. Until then, the Beijing Subway is just lovely and still only RMB 2 per ride.
Photo: cngulu.com
Comments
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mtnerror
Submitted by Guest on Tue, 06/24/2014 - 11:34 Permalink
Re: Uber Car Service Arrives in Beijing
The one time in BJ I used it was for a promo event. They messed up with their own promo code (which we received after pre-paying with cash beforehand) and it took 3 days before they rectified the situation. The car was clean. The driver's service wasn't great, wasn't terrible. I didn't like it that the previous passenger had some sort of tiger balm on him/her's back and it was transferred to me, leaving my clothes smelling of ointment and my back feeling very warm on what was a very hot and humid day. It proved comical for my car mates, though.
frankhan
Submitted by Guest on Tue, 06/24/2014 - 10:32 Permalink
Re: Uber Car Service Arrives in Beijing
I used Uber last night at Sanlitun, it's not overpriced and you don't have to wait half an hour for taxi or being bothered by those private drivers... Not like typical taxi in Beijing, uber is comfortable, no need to worry about change and you don't get refused by the drivers for going to somewhere he or she doesn't want to go. People should all use Uber...
Arvi89
Submitted by Guest on Fri, 04/25/2014 - 20:07 Permalink
Re: Uber Car Service Arrives in Beijing
Well, I would use uber only at night when taxi are giving shitty prices, then it couyld be a good deal (but not if the mistake Shuangjing for Tianjin ^^)
Maybe now taxis will start to make mormal prices in sanlitun at night, could be a good thing 
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