BMW to offer an Uber-style taxi service in China from December

Car giant BMW is set to expand its business as it prepares to launch ride-hailing services in China.

The launch of service, which is set to take place in December, will make the German car manufacturer the first global automaker to obtain such a license in the ever-growing market, the Daily Mail reports.

BMW Mobility Service Ltd, is a fully-owned subsidiary of the BMW Group and had obtained its ride-hailing licence in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in China's southwest.

The new permit will enable BMW to provide online booked taxi services in the city, however the firm did not reveal details of the expected fleet size.

Earlier this year, BMW Group said it would increase its stake in its Chinese joint venture with partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd to 75 percent from 50 percent.

China's ride-hailing market is worth $23 billion, more than all other ride-hailing markets combined, with China's Didi Chuxing dominating with 90 percent of all bookings.

However the firm has previously been criticised as it urged residents in China to delete popular app Uber, in favour of theirs. Despite this Didi Chuxing is currently the world's largest ride hailing app and is worth around $56billion.

Didi had also suffered a public relations and regulatory crisis earlier this year after two of its passengers were murdered while using its services.