Guangzhou opens unmanned 'car vending machine'

China's first "car vending machine" is pictured in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong province, on March 26, 2018. [Photo/IC]

China's first unstaffed "car vending machine" was unveiled in South China's Guangzhou on Monday.

The multi-story facility was launched by China's e-commerce giant Alibaba and US car maker Ford. The steel building, located in the Baiyun district, covers nearly 1,000 square meters and holds up to 42 vehicles, including the Ford New Mondeo, Explorer SUV and Mustang.

Customers can make an appointment for a three-day test drive by searching the keywords "super test drive" on the Tmall or Taobao apps, providing their identification details, and paying a deposit and a fee for the service on their mobile phones. They can then access the vehicles in the garage by themselves. Customers with a Sesame Credit score of 700 or higher can test drive a car for free. 

The "car vending machine" will be open to the public from Monday to April 23. Similar machines are being planned in Beijing and Hangzhou.

A customer shows the "super test drive" on his mobile phone. [Photo/IC]

A customer scans his face to test drive. [Photo/IC]