Alibaba Robotic car vending machine is 5 stories tall

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and US carmaker Ford have unveiled an unstaffed car vending machine that is 5 stories tall in China’s southern city Guangzhou.

The machine stands about five-storeys tall and contains 42 cars, of various models, including the Ford Explorer SUV and Mustang.

People can buy cars from a smartphone app in under ten minutes.

The vending machine will be open to the public from Monday to April 23. Buyers will be given a 3-day test drive before they have to commit to any purchase. Similar machines are being planned in Beijing and Hangzhou.

In 2016, Alibaba sold 100 Maserati cars in 18 seconds during a flash sale on Tmall.