Buying Mustangs From Vending Machines is a Thing Because of China

In the U.S., it’s not uncommon to find a vending machine located in an auto dealer’s waiting room.

Starting this week in China, it’ll be normal to see an auto dealership in a vending machine.

Unveiled this week in Guangzhou as part of a partnership between Alibaba Group and Ford, the five-story “Super Test-Drive Center” allows potential customers to select from a range of vehicles to take for a three-day test drive for a nominal fee.

Alibaba Group and Ford unveiled China’s first “auto vending machine” this week. (Photo courtesy of Alibaba Group)

Stocked with 42 vehicles in all – including Explorers, Mustangs and Edges – the Ford-branded garage wants to “redefine the consumer journey and user experience for automobiles” using “artificial intelligence, cloud computing, the Internet of Things and e-commerce.”

Translation? The system at the Super Test-Drive Center is connected to an app. Shocker.

Check out a video about the machine’s unveiling below:

Meet your guide

Evan Bleier

Evan is a senior editor with InsideHook who earned a master’s degree in journalism from NYU and has called Brooklyn home since 2006. A fan of Boston sports, Nashville hot chicken and Kentucky bourbon, Evan has had his work published in publications including “Maxim,” Bleacher Report and “The Daily Mail.”