Didi’s premium ride-hailing service has begun a pilot with Coca-Cola in 12 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, offering some riders a free 300 ml Coke in addition to bottled water, according to Jiemian News. The company said the activity is part of a summer service upgrade and will run until October 15, after which there is currently no plan to continue the Coke offering.

The pilot has drawn mixed reactions from passengers and drivers. Didi said participating drivers receive free coolers and ice packs from the platform, while drivers must initially buy the drinks themselves. One driver told Jiemian News that the first batch required 96 bottles purchased by the driver and 24 bottles provided by the platform, with the unit purchase price at 1 yuan, the same as the standard bottled water. After meeting tiered requirements such as complaint-free operation and order volume, the effective per-bottle cost can fall by 0.4 yuan.

Didi said its premium ride-hailing service still provides bottled water, typically one bottle of mineral water in the front seat and two small bottles of Coke in the back seat for passengers to choose from. Some riders welcomed the cold drink as a small surprise in hot weather, while others said carbonated drinks are less practical for commuting or business trips and may spill during bumpy rides. Drivers also said the added drinks and cooling equipment take up trunk space.

The pilot comes as Didi seeks lower-cost ways to improve service differentiation. In its second-quarter 2026 earnings report, the company said core platform orders reached 5.052 billion, up 13.2% year on year, while platform gross transaction value rose 22.2% to 133.9 billion yuan. Didi also reported a 354 million yuan net loss attributable to shareholders in the first half, weighed down by losses in its overseas business.