http://news.investors.com/technology/061715-757714-alibaba-group-and-lifan-auto-reportedly-in-electric-car-sales-pact.htm Move Over Tesla Stores, Alibaba Tries Online-Only EVs BY DONNA HOWELL 06/17/2015
Never mind Tesla Motors' way of selling electric cars, in its own sales boutiques reminiscent of an Apple Store vs. traditional dealerships. Alibaba Group, the Chinese online shopping giant, may one-up that idea by selling an online-only electric car. The company has formed a strategic partnership with Lifan Auto, according to a China Daily report that says Lifan will build a small electric-car model exclusively for the online platform, while the two companies cooperate in car financing and services. How Big Is China Car Market? Alibaba and other Chinese Internet companies have increasingly been getting into cars, as sales of electric vehicles rise in China. In May, deliveries of plug-in and hybrid electric cars made in China reached 10,856 there, up 192% from a year earlier, according to ChinaAutoWeb. While Tesla has not sold vehicles as fast as planned in China, that was still its top international market in 2014, of those the company breaks out. It took in $477 million in revenue in China, vs. $1.47 billion in U.S. revenue. Sites Set On Cars In March Alibaba and SAIC Motor announced a 1 billion yuan ($163.9 million) investment in a fund that will develop Internet-connected vehicles, and a joint venture stemming from that. And in April, Alibaba formed a partnership with Shanghai General Motors (a joint venture of General Motors and SAIC Motor) to help finance GM vehicle sales. Tesla reportedly started taking online orders at Alibaba's Tmall.com for its luxury Model S sedan in China late last year, according to a Bloomberg story, which noted that GM and Volkswagen also had Tmall.com arrangements. China search giant Baidu and online seller JD.com, as well as messaging king Tencent, have delved into the auto industry recently, with Baidu taking part in a financing round for used car auction site Uxin earlier this year. As IBD reported in April, Baidu might introduce an autonomous car, following Google. And Tencent earlier this year teamed with luxury car dealer China Harmony Auto and Taiwan's Foxconn to develop electric cars. Tencent and JD.com took stakes in auto information site BitAuto, among their other efforts. [© investors.com] ... http://www.china.org.cn/business/2015-06/15/content_35823205.htm Alibaba forms partnership to increase vehicle sales June 15, 2015 ... http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/cheap-electric-car.html Cheap electric cars http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/mini-electric-car.html For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/Alibaba-one-ups-with-Online-Only-EV-sales-cn-tp4676439.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
