This Double 11, JD.com made quite a stir! On October 14, during the "11.11 Surprise Open Day," JD.com announced its collaboration with GAC Group and CATL to introduce a "National Good Car." According to the plan, the car is set to commence internal testing and public test drives from late October, with exclusive online sales lined up for the Double 11 shopping festival.

Following the announcement, the hashtag #JD.comCarMaking quickly became a hot topic on social media. Addressing the speculations about "JD.com's foray into car manufacturing," JD.com clarified that the new car is a collaborative effort among the three entities and does not entail direct car production by JD.com. Specifically, GAC Group will handle intelligent vehicle manufacturing, CATL will supply battery technology and support for the battery-swapping ecosystem, while JD.com will primarily contribute consumer insights and exclusive sales channels.

Unlike other cross-industry car-making ventures, JD.com has chosen a more asset-light cooperation model. This approach allows it to sidestep high-investment risks associated with R&D and factory construction, thereby pioneering a novel cross-industry car-making paradigm. Through a clear division of labor, the three parties have leveraged their complementary strengths.

It's reported that the new car, jointly launched by JD.com and its partners, will center around the concept of a "National Good Car," highlighting four key attributes: performance safety, stylish design, endurance, and affordability. JD.com stated that it will utilize its user data to precisely identify the core demands for "high cost-effectiveness + low car usage costs." Currently, the JD.com APP features a reservation page for the "National Good Car" and has introduced a customization activity titled "Define Your JD.com National Car," inviting users to participate in research regarding the car's price and configuration.

By leveraging the traffic generated by the JD.com APP, JD.com can gather more nuanced user demands for cars, potentially providing a unique edge in the fiercely competitive new energy vehicle market. This strategy has also drawn attention to JD.com Auto. Looking ahead, JD.com will continuously collect user feedback to optimize products in collaboration with its partners and introduce more models tailored to different market segments.

In addition to extensively gathering user feedback, JD.com has adopted the slogan "Making car buying as easy as buying a phone" in its business model. It's reported that the new car will adopt an "online customization + offline quick pickup" model, offering flexible purchase options such as "custom car wrap, accessory package, and maintenance package" alongside the standard version.

Currently, JD.com provides a one-stop automotive consumption experience encompassing "purchase, accessories, maintenance, usage, and replacement." Its online channels offer a wide range of automotive products and accessories, while its offline network includes nearly 3,000 JD Auto Maintenance stores and over 40,000 partner stores, as well as JD Auto Modification stores and self-operated film wrapping factories. This will also serve as JD.com's competitive advantage in the automotive market.

JD.com's official announcement of its "car-making" venture indicates that its automotive business will further expand upstream from the aftermarket. Besides the automotive aftermarket, JD.com has made other strategic moves in the automotive industry, such as its investment in NIO. This collaboration with CATL and GAC is speculated by industry observers to focus on the sales of customized models rather than actual car manufacturing.

Of course, JD.com's tripartite cooperation model offers greater flexibility than direct car manufacturing. On the day of JD.com's car-making announcement, Changan Automobile's official Weibo account also posted a congratulatory message, hinting at a "major project" collaboration without disclosing specific details. It remains unclear whether Changan Automobile is also a partner in JD.com's tripartite car-making endeavor.

If the collaboration involves customized models, there have been numerous precedents in the industry, mostly involving modifications to existing models, which may not be viable in the long term. It remains to be seen what innovative strategies the tripartite collaboration will adopt. All will be revealed next month.

However, it's worth noting that among internet companies, Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent have all ventured into car manufacturing. In March 2015, Foxconn teamed up with Tencent and Harmony Auto to explore "internet car-making," with a manufacturing giant, an internet giant, and a dealer giant forming a new company, Harmony Future Mobility. Subsequently, this "iron triangle" invested in and established two companies: Aiways and Byton. However, Tencent quietly withdrew from the car-making project shortly after. Nevertheless, Tencent continues to invest in automakers like NIO.

Alibaba's car-making journey also dates back to the same period. In 2015, Alibaba collaborated with SAIC Motor to launch the Roewe RX5, marking their first in-depth cooperation. In 2021, SAIC Motor established IM Motors, with Alibaba becoming one of the three major shareholders. Besides IM Motors, XPeng Motors is also considered an Alibaba-affiliated carmaker. In terms of Baidu's car-making efforts, it collaborated with Geely to create the Jiyue car. However, due to continuous losses, Baidu ceased its investment in Jiyue in 2024, and the company has since dissolved.

Furthermore, the predecessors of current automakers like NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto were all internet companies. Among internet e-commerce companies, Meituan, Alibaba, and JD.com have all invested in passenger vehicles, marking a "battle" in the car-making arena.