(Yicai Global) Dec. 18 -- Traditional car companies, with BMW Group at the forefront, are looking to take over the Chinese online-based high-end taxi market to offer luxury vehicles with chauffeurs to Chinese consumers. 

BMW has launched a fleet of 200 units of BMW 5-Series long-wheelbase sedans with full-time drivers in the southwestern city of Chengdu, some half of which are hybrid vehicles, the Munich-based firm said in a press release on Dec. 14. The company will adapt its product offering to target tourists staying in five-star hotels, as well as conference visitors. 

The new fleet will extend the services of BMW's and Chinese car-sharer EVCard's ReachNow platform which put 100 BMW i3s on the streets of Chengdu for time-sharing in December last year. After opening a Chengdu unit called BMW Mobility Service in April, the German firm got a license to operate a taxi platform as the first foreign-funded car company in China last month.

"Carmakers are transforming into mobility service providers," Lang Xuehong, the secretary general of China Automobile Dealers Association, said to Yicai Global in an interview.

Vehicle-makers Daimler and Geely Automobile Holdings have both announced their plans to start offering car-hailing services in China but neither has obtained the related permit yet. 

The Chinese online ride-hailing market lacks luxury services, said Pan Dingqiao, the chief executive of BMW Mobility Service, adding that many Chinese customers are willing to pay for a good experience. 

BMW Group launched DriveNow car-sharing platform in Europe in 2011, and extended it to the US market in 2016. 

Editor: Emmi Laine