ByteDance, the parent company of the video platform TikTok, is expanding into the Chinese mobility market with its AI app Doubao. Since Monday, select users have been able to order taxis through the app\u2014a beta test that immediately became the most-discussed topic on the Chinese microblogging service Weibo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Doubao, originally conceived as an AI assistant modeled after ChatGPT, has systematically evolved into a platform for everyday services over the past few months. Following the integration of e-commerce features and group-buying offers, the company is now entering the passenger transportation market. Users are reporting on social media that the taxi feature is currently being tested in several major Chinese cities. ByteDance itself has not yet commented publicly on the details of the pilot project. The strategy is reminiscent of WeChat\u2019s successful model, which has evolved from a messaging app into China\u2019s dominant super app, featuring payment functions, mini-programs, and all kinds of services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With this move, ByteDance is challenging the current market leader, Didi Chuxing, which, according to estimates by research firms, controls about 70 percent of the Chinese ride-hailing market. This market was estimated to reach a volume equivalent to about 45 billion euros by 2025. With its apps TikTok, Douyin, and now Doubao, ByteDance has a massive user base: Douyin alone\u2014the Chinese version of TikTok\u2014has over 750 million daily active users. Doubao itself has seen rapid growth since its launch in August 2023 and is among the most downloaded AI apps worldwide. This reach could prove to be a decisive competitive advantage if ByteDance arranges rides directly from within the app, without requiring users to install an additional application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This move illustrates a broader trend in China\u2019s tech industry: Artificial intelligence no longer serves merely as a standalone product, but as a gateway to high-margin service markets. For ByteDance, this means new sources of revenue beyond the advertising business, which accounts for the majority of the company\u2019s revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ByteDance\u2019s aggressive expansion strategy is also sending a signal to European markets. With TikTok, the company already operates one of the most popular apps among Austrian teenagers; according to the 2025 Youth Internet Monitor, 67 percent of 11- to 17-year-olds use the platform regularly. If ByteDance were to internationalize its super-app model in the long term, local ride-hailing providers such as Bolt or Uber could also come under pressure. In the short term, the taxi service remains limited to China, but the technological blueprint for global expansion is in place. ByteDance\u2019s market capitalization was most recently estimated at around $220 billion, giving the company sufficient capital for further market expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n