We have all bought a packet of chips or a can of beverage from a vending machine, but ever wondered if you could pick and choose a car for a test drive and then, later on, buy it from a vending machine? Believe me, when I say this, I'm not on a sugar rush, this is actually going to be the future. E-Commerce giant, Alibaba, wants to move into the automotive space, but in a very innovative way.
The main purpose of this 'Auto Vending Machine' is to make to car buying a simpler experience. Spoiler alert though, according to the video released by Alibaba, the vending machine is going to be in shape of a gigantic cat. Looking beyond how it looks, the concept is ingenious and practical as the cars will be all stacked in like a multilevel parking model.
The million dollar question is, how does this actually work? Alibaba has kept the process very simple. All you need to do is download Taobao app and with the help of this app customers scan a car they fancy on the road and also select their colour preference. After the customer finalises the car model, the app schedules a test drive for three days only after the user submits some personal details along with a selfie. Based on the scheduled date for the test drive, the buyer heads to the nearest auto vending machine where a facial recognition machine identifies the customer before sliding out the preferred car. Once they are done with the test drive, the customer can buy the car directly via the app or opt for another test drive.
So, the next big question is, isn't it dicy to handover a car for three days? Well, yes, but then there are terms and conditions like five test drives are allowed in a span of two months, Alibaba's financial services will vet a customer before handing over the car keys, one only qualifies for a free test drive if they have reached a certain level on its Zhima credit-scoring service and they must be Alibaba Super Members.
After reading all this, if you think, this concept sounds like something for the distant future then you're very much mistaken. Alibaba has announced that it will open two stores in January, one in Shanghai and the other in Nanjing. The ultimate goal is to make buying a car as simple as a can of coke, and it plans to open dozens more across China in 2018.
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