Uber-like services will make money in China. I don't know whether didi dache or Uber or <insert specific company here> will still be around when they stop funding growth with investors' money.

However, car-hailing apps make more efficient use of passengers' time, drivers' time, and cars themselves, compared with passengers calling a guy. Taxis make good use of drivers and cars, but waste passengers' time as they are hard to hail in many places in large cities.

Car-hailing apps are here to stay and, in the long run, some company will make money. Whether any single company will make monopoly-type rents due to being the only game in town, though, ...