American automaker, Ford Motor Company and Chinese giant Alibaba Group have come together to explore a strategic collaboration to jointly identify new opportunities. This will include solutions for sustainable mobility like electric cars and also will also look to redefine consumer retail experiences. This partnership is announced for the Chinese market.
Jim Hackett, Ford Motor Company President & CEO, and Daniel Zhang, Alibaba Group CEO, met at Alibaba’s headquarter in Hangzhou and witnessed the signing of the ‘Letter of Intent’ between the two companies.
Under the three-year agreement, both companies will jointly explore areas of cooperation that are re-shaping the automotive industry in China and around the world. Ford will cooperate with Alibaba’s four business units in operation system, cloud computing, digital marketing and online retail respectively – namely AliOS, Alibaba Cloud, Alimama and Tmall – and jointly explore a variety of areas of cooperation including mobility services, connectivity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital marketing.
“China is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic digital markets, thriving on innovation with customers’ online and offline experiences converging rapidly. Collaborating with leading technology players builds on our vision for smart vehicles in a smart world to reimagine and revolutionize consumers’ mobility experiences,’’ said Jim Hackett, Ford’s President and CEO.
“Alibaba is excited to redefine the consumer journey and user experience for automobiles together with Ford Motors,” said Alibaba Group Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang. “Our data-driven technology and platform will expand the definition of car ownership beyond just having a mode of transportation and into a new medium for smart lifestyle.”
In the initial phase, Ford and Alibaba will explore a pilot study on digital solutions for new retail opportunities at various stages of the automotive ownership cycle, from pre-sales and test drives to leasing options.
By leveraging both parties’ areas of expertise, both companies are investigating ways that mobile technology could redefine online retail marketing, distribution strategies, cloud connectivity and infotainment services.
While Alibaba will gain from Ford’s automotive leadership of running complex global operations, with more than 100 years legacy of developing, manufacturing and selling vehicles globally, Ford on the other hand can also leverage the wide spectrum of Alibaba’s resources including new retail services, Internet of Things solutions, cloud computing and data technologies to transform vehicle ownership in the new retail era especially for the Chinese market.
Earlier in September 2017, Mahindra and Ford had partnered together to explore a strategic alliance to help each other in establishing a successful business model for India and other emerging countries. Both the companies will join forces to work on mobility programs, Connected vehicle projects, Electrification and Product development.