Alibaba is launching a car vending machine via its retail brand, Tmall, in Shanghai and Nanjing. With different car options from brands such as Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Ford, Honda and many more, it provides a convenient way to compare similar models between different automakers.
As Alibaba says in a statement, the company aims to make “buying cars as easy as buying a can of Coke.” The User simply selects her preferred car on the Taobao app or just scans a car on the street, if the car is available then they can arrange for a test-drive. Down payment is required for covering insurance and deposit, but if you are an accredited Alibaba Super Member or have high score on China’s Zhima Credit system then part of the deposit can be exempted. Onsite, users will be verified via facial recognition in order to get a car key, and the desired car will be delivered to the ground floor. Tmall offers a three-day test-driving period for potential buyers to fully experience the car, and if they like what they are driving then they can simply purchase it in-app. The whole process can be completed without any staff involved.
The huge vending machine with the Tmall cat logo on top is not just a rendering –it is targeted to open in Guangzhou in 2018. Another branch will be launched in Shanghai this coming January and over 30 locations are planned within China in the first year.
