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As more and more Chinese use car-hailing apps as a convenient and economical alternative to taxis, private car owners who have signed up with software companies are not only earning a few extra yuan but making friends, too.

"It's not about making money," says Peng Guo, 27, of Beijing, who registered his Mercedes-Benz with the hailing app company Uber as a part-time driver.

"The great thing is that I can get to know different people and have very pleasant chats with them," says Peng, who is in the finance industry.