Chinese giant Alibaba is planning to open a car vending machine in 2018 in an effort to make purchasing a vehicle easier than ever.
Unlike previous vending machine dealerships, including a particularly prominent one in Singapore, Alibaba’s solution will actually allow individuals to purchase a vehicle directly from the machine, rather than simply acting as a storage facility for vehicle owners.
The Telegraph reports that to use the machine, buyers will browse the cars available on their smartphone and press the buy button. The online system will provide a number of financing options and data about the buyer’s credit rating and if everything checks out, the customer will be able to drive off in a new ride with varying monthly payment instalments.
The general manager of Alibaba’s automotive division, Yu Wei, says the service “will make buying cars as easy as buying a can of Coke.”
As you may have guessed, Alibaba won’t be targeting China’s lower classes with its salesmen-free solution. Instead, it will target the wealthy middle and upper class.
Note: Singapore’s vending machine below.