Transportation | Dominik Mayer – Products, Asia, Productivity

Arai

Each Arai helmet is hand-crafted. And the professional racers get to wear the same products as the consumers.

Uber’s Path of Destruction  

Transportation consultant Huber Horan wrote my favorite article about Uber:

An examination of Uber’s economics suggests that it has no hope of ever earning sustainable urban car service profits in competitive markets. Its costs are simply much higher than the market is willing to pay, as its nine years of massive losses indicate. Uber not only lacks powerful competitive advantages, but it is actually less efficient than the competitors it has been driving out of business.

Horan then compares Uber’s business model to that of the taxi industry and concludes that “Uber has not increased taxi productivity or solved long-standing industry problems” but instead subsidizes fares so that it can offer prices consumers are willing to pay.

Go read the whole article. It’s fascinating.

Horan has a PDF version (and more articles about Uber) on his website.

147 Stations

Matt Mayers, creator of the great Metro map ExploreShanghai (review at CNReviews) is going to do the Tube Challenge next Monday. He’ll attempt to visit all stations of the Shanghai Metro that day. More information in his blog.

Rainy Hongkou

Hongkou
Hongkou

In front of the Rainbow City Lifestyle Mall.

Hongkou
Hongkou
Hongkou

Feihong Road and an entrances to the metro station Linping Road.

Hongkou
Hongkou

Pimp My Bike

Old Bike

A friend with his “new” bike. His language partner had bought it for 50 Yuan (about 4,50 Euro) and will lend it to him until he leaves.

Old Bike

Ouwen and I had pimped our bikes earlier. In our case it was only the missing air in the tires, this bike needed more care.

Old Bike
Old Bike
Old Bike
Old Bike

Luckily the man near the International Students Building has everything and can fix everything.

Old Bike
Old Bike
Old Bike
Old Bike

The chef of the two restaurants above the dining hall inside the International Students Building and a security guard. The chef has been living in Germany for several years and called the other one “Gestapo” in joke.

Old Bike

One hour and 80 Yuan later.

Old Bike
Old Bike
Old Bike
Old Bike
Old Bike
Old Bike

From People's Square to Xinzha Lu

Huangpu

According to a Chinese friend that’s one of the best restaurants around there.

Huangpu
Huangpu
Huangpu

DB(A)

Noise

Under 70: Hao.

Noise

Over 70: Bu hao.

In Huangpu

Huangpu

At daylight

Huangpu
Huangpu

Huangpu
Traffic assistant

Huangpu
Huangpu

Tongji in the News

German news site Spiegel Online cites Tongji professor Xie Weida, deputy director of the Railway Institute who says it’s “unlikely” that China will buy the Maglev technology.

An English article can be found at The Earth Times.

Construction Site on Siping Road

Construction site on Siping Road
Construction site on Siping Road

I think the construction of a new metro line would look different in Germany.

Another Day in Paradise

Chinese food

Food from the International Students Cafeteria. The lower one was quite good but I finally realized that I don’t like the egg and tomato thing which seems to be some kind of Chinese national dish.

Tongji
International School of Tongji University

International School

Bike

My bike, attached to a tree.