News Reporter | Song Jianan
Recently, Didi Chuxing, in partnership with Coca-Cola, rolled out a trial offering cola in its premium ride service across 12 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. This move, aimed at crafting a more distinctive ride experience, has stirred quite a debate on social media — passengers and drivers just can’t seem to agree.
According to the Yangtze Evening News, this trial is part of Didi‘s phased summer experience upgrade. It’s not a nationwide rollout for every Didi premium vehicle. Only select participating cars will carry 300ml cans of Coca-Cola alongside the usual bottled water. The platform is also handing out insulated boxes and ice packs to participating drivers, free of charge, to ensure the drinks can be served properly chilled.
On August 24, a customer service representative for Didi premium rides told our reporter that, yes, some premium cars are offering free sugar-free cola to passengers during the summer. However, the promotion is scheduled to wrap up on October 15, and there’s currently no plan to continue it beyond that date. The rep also clarified that the existing complimentary water service will remain — typically, a bottle of Ganten mineral water is placed up front, while two small bottles of cola are offered in the back for passengers to choose from.
When asked whether the cost of the cola is covered by the driver or the platform, the customer service rep sidestepped the question. A separate driver-support hotline said they could only disclose that information after receiving the driver’s registered phone number.
We’ve noticed that plenty of passengers are already posting photos of their rides on social media. Some treat the cola as a delightful little bonus during their commute, while others are less impressed.
Many passengers taking short trips in the summer say that grabbing an ice-cold cola upon getting into the car brings an unexpected sense of delight, making the premium ride feel noticeably more upscale compared to standard express options. Plus, the sugar-free version eases any guilt about sugar intake, and they appreciate this thoughtful little touch.
But there’s no shortage of grumbling either. Some passengers argue that, unlike water, carbonated drinks have a pretty narrow window of usability. During morning rush hour or business commutes, almost nobody actually wants to crack open a soda. And since cola is carbonated, any bump or jostle during the drive could easily lead to a fizzy spill.
Several passengers have also reported that, due to the limits of the onboard insulated box and ice packs, the cola they receive is often only barely cool — nowhere near the ice-cold experience they were hoping for. That disappointment chips away at the whole thing.
Drivers are just as divided. Some say that to join the program, they first need to buy 96 bottles of cola on their own dime, with the platform throwing in 24 extra bottles as a bonus. The per-bottle cost matches the standard mineral water at about 1 yuan each. After completing tiered performance targets — like keeping complaints at zero and hitting order volume goals — the actual per-bottle cost can drop by 0.4 yuan compared to water. The platform covers the insulated box and ice packs, but drivers still have to front the cash for the drinks, which adds some financial pressure.
Another headache: the trunk now has to juggle mineral water, cola, the insulated box, and ice packs all at once. When a passenger comes with bulky luggage, that leaves even less room for their bags.
On the flip side, a premium ride driver from Beijing shared a much rosier picture. In the six days since the program launched, she completed 76 trips and handed out just 20 bottles of cola — far fewer than she’d anticipated. Most passengers open the cola carefully, and some simply take it with them when they leave. Kids and younger riders are the main consumers, and the overall feedback has been pretty positive. She also noticed that since offering cola, the mineral water consumption has dropped — only about 3 bottles used in those six days. Her only real hassle is that if any cola is left over at the end of the day, she has to take it home to chill overnight and bring it back the next morning.
In fact, providing bottled water in Didi premium rides has long been a standard feature. The cost of that water is also borne by the drivers, with the platform setting procurement standards to keep the supply steady. Back then, the controversy revolved around purchase prices, expired stock, and passengers grabbing more than their fair share.
The reason mineral water stuck around for so long is its universal appeal — it suits virtually every type of passenger, demand is stable, and even if it spills, cleanup is cheap and easy. The cola trial, by contrast, brings a whole set of uncertainties compared to water: limited appeal, higher spill risk, and less predictable consumption.
Still, for Didi, this move is an experiment in service tiering as the company enters a new phase of business growth. According to Didi‘s Q2 2026 earnings report, core platform orders hit 5.052 billion, up 13.2% year-over-year, while total gross transaction volume (GTV) reached 133.9 billion yuan, a 22.2% increase. The domestic mobility business is growing steadily, but the international segment continues to bleed money, dragging the group’s first-half net loss attributable to shareholders to 354 million yuan.
Given this financial backdrop, the platform is steering away from massive cash-burning subsidies, opting instead for low-cost, scenario-based tweaks to polish the passenger experience. Teaming up with a beverage brand is one such cost-effective marketing play — and it also helps widen the service gap between premium rides and standard express options.
But some industry analysts argue that the true foundation of a premium ride-hailing service lies in the basics: smooth driving, a spotless cabin, and professional driver conduct. Little perks like a free cola can only serve as icing on the cake. If the extra hassle these add-ons create outweighs the benefits for both drivers and passengers, then no matter how loud the marketing buzz, it’s unlikely to survive in the long run.
