Lead | Introduction

On April 13, JD Auto and Shenlan Auto, a subsidiary of Changan Automobile, forged a strategic partnership, officially unveiling the "National Good Car 2.0" model—the Shenlan L06 Extended-Range Edition. This collaboration follows the launch of the "JD Auto 1.0" Aion UT Super in November of the previous year and signifies another major stride by JD in the new energy vehicle sector.

Produced by | Heyan Yueche Studio

Written by | Zhang Dachuan

Edited by | He Zi

Full text: 2,495 characters

Reading time: 4 minutes

The Shenlan L06 Extended-Range Edition stands out with its remarkable product attributes.

Its sleek, low-profile coupe design resonates with the aesthetic preferences of young consumers. It boasts an extended-range system offering a pure electric range of 245 km and a total range exceeding 1,500 km. The NEDC fuel consumption when the battery is low is as minimal as 3.46 L/100 km, significantly reducing daily travel expenses. The vehicle is equipped as standard with LiDAR, a 3nm automotive-grade cockpit chip, a 15.6-inch sunflower screen, and 90 intelligent driving functions. Premium models feature magnetorheological suspension, the same technology used in Ferrari, paired with a rear-wheel-drive coupe layout and an electrically adjustable rear wing, providing a substantial enhancement in handling performance.

△ The Shenlan L06 Extended-Range Edition boasts impressive product attributes.

As planned, the Shenlan L06 Extended-Range Edition will be exclusively available through JD's sales channels. Currently, the JD APP features the official Shenlan Auto flagship store and the JD self-operated flagship store, where consumers can book test drives or place orders online. The pricing for the vehicle has yet to be announced, but referencing the previously launched Shenlan L06 pure electric version (priced between RMB 134,900 and RMB 156,900), the extended-range version is expected to be similarly priced.

△ The Shenlan L06 Extended-Range Edition will be exclusively available through JD's sales channels.

Setbacks for JD Auto 1.0

Discussing JD Auto 2.0 inevitably leads to an examination of the market performance of JD Auto 1.0.

On November 9, 2025, JD Auto launched its first model, the Aion UT Super, which garnered over 1,000 orders in its inaugural week and delivered 2,000 units within 14 days. However, since mid-December, sales data for the vehicle has been sparsely disclosed, with industry estimates indicating it fell significantly short of competitors like the BYD Seagull and Geely Starry Wish in the same segment.

△ The first model under JD Auto, the Aion UT Super, experienced a strong start but a weak finish.

JD Auto 1.0 fell short of expectations primarily due to JD's lack of experience in the automotive industry and the significant disconnect between the e-commerce model and automotive consumption logic. On one hand, the actual vehicle significantly reduced configurations such as sunroofs, leather seats, and intelligent infotainment systems that were heavily promoted during the launch, severely damaging user reputation. On the other hand, the RMB 49,900 battery rental version came with hidden constraints like mileage limits and regional invoicing, increasing car purchase and vehicle usage costs. Combined with the RMB 89,900 pricing, it lacked competitiveness in the same class market. Additionally, JD followed its fast-moving consumer goods e-commerce approach, neglecting the automotive industry's heavy decision-making and experience-focused nature, with inadequate offline test drive, delivery, and service networks. Multiple factors contributed to the high start but low finish in sales.

Entering the JD Auto 2.0 phase, the previous shortcomings have been fully addressed. Building on the full-process online vehicle purchase, JD has introduced home test drives and dual-channel delivery, aligning with user purchasing habits. Combined with an extensive network of vehicle maintenance services and the balanced product attributes of the Shenlan L06 Extended-Range Edition, the relaunched JD Auto 2.0 deserves significant market attention.

Key Reasons for Shenlan Auto's Choice of JD

Shenlan Auto's decision to partner with JD is rooted in profound strategic considerations and its own development needs.

On October 15, 2025, Changan Automobile Group and JD Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement, marking the beginning of comprehensive collaboration. As the core carrier of Changan's new energy "Shangri-La" plan and intelligent "Beidou Tianshu" plan, Shenlan Auto focuses on young user groups and became the first brand within the group to advance a key strategic cooperation project with JD. From the outset, the partnership had a clear strategic orientation.

△ Shenlan Auto urgently needs to boost sales.

From Shenlan Auto's own development perspective, choosing JD is a crucial move to break through current challenges and achieve development goals. In the first quarter of 2026, Shenlan Auto's global cumulative sales reached approximately 63,200 units, representing a year-on-year decline of about 17.7%, with significant sales pressure. Meanwhile, in March 2026, Shenlan Auto completed industrial and commercial changes following its Series C financing, with a total financing amount of RMB 6.122 billion injecting momentum into its development. However, it also faces urgent needs to accelerate its IPO, boost sales, and achieve stable profitability, with JD's strong resource support becoming a key driver for breaking through.

JD's core strengths highly align with Shenlan Auto's needs, forming the foundation of their cooperation. As a major domestic e-commerce platform, JD has over 700 million annual active users, enabling Shenlan Auto to quickly reach a vast potential user base. Additionally, JD's accumulated 6.2 billion+ automotive-related search data provides robust support for Shenlan to understand user needs and optimize product development. Furthermore, JD's well-established offline service network—hundreds of delivery centers and 1,900+ vehicle maintenance stores—can address Shenlan's offline service gaps. Combined with financial solutions like installment plans, it effectively lowers the threshold for users to purchase vehicles, comprehensively assisting Shenlan Auto in boosting sales and achieving its development goals.

△ JD has over 700 million annual active users, enabling Shenlan Auto to quickly reach a vast potential user base.

Why is JD Venturing into the Automotive Sector?

JD's launch of the JD Auto project aims to break through retail growth bottlenecks by tapping into the trillion-dollar automotive market. Currently, JD's core e-commerce business is experiencing slowed growth and intensified competition in the existing market, urgently needing the trillion-dollar automotive market as a second growth engine. As a high-value, highly interconnected household item, automobiles can not only bring new revenue growth points but also drive the entire ecosystem of automotive products, finance, insurance, vehicle maintenance, and used cars, effectively leveraging the platform's 700 million users and high-value PLUS members to help JD achieve business diversification. Therefore, the JD Auto project will play a crucial role for the entire group.

JD Auto adopts a core model of "asset-light, data-driven, and channel-controlled," adhering to the principle of not building cars but defining them. Leveraging the massive user data accumulated on the platform, it conducts C2M reverse customization, collaborating with automakers and battery manufacturers to launch cost-effective "National Good Cars." Through exclusive online sales and direct pricing models, it eliminates dealer markup, achieving price transparency and efficient delivery, transforming cars into "standard e-commerce commodities" and further strengthening the platform's control over consumption entry points and user relationships, breaking down barriers of traditional automotive sales models. However, it should be noted that unlike Huawei, which masters core technologies like intelligent driving and intelligent cockpits, JD has almost no accumulation in new energy and intelligent connected vehicle underlying technologies. Therefore, how JD will secure full control over the JD Auto project in the future poses a significant challenge for the company.

△ This year, JD plans to establish 100 "National Good Car" delivery centers.

Although JD lacks significant influence in engineering development and manufacturing, it holds substantial advantages and dominance in the current core layout of JD Auto. Miao Qin, Vice President of JD Group and President of JD Auto, publicly stated at the 2026 High-Level Forum on Intelligent Electric Vehicle Development that JD plans to establish 100 "National Good Car" delivery centers this year, providing more purchasing options for JD self-operated store users and promoting the nationwide implementation of the "National Good Car" project. Offline, leveraging JD Auto's 4,000+ self-operated and 40,000 cooperative outlets, combined with the newly established delivery centers, it addresses delivery and after-sales gaps in lower-tier cities, constructing a one-stop system for online vehicle viewing and ordering, home test drives, dual-channel delivery, lifetime vehicle maintenance, and financial and used car services, locking in long-term user value. In the long run, as a benchmark for e-commerce vehicle sales 2.0, JD Auto will validate the replicable model of "data + channels + services," gradually extending into intelligent mobility, vehicle connectivity, and mobile retail, becoming a digital hub and channel core of the automotive industry with an asset-light, high-leverage, and low-risk approach.

△ JD Auto has 4,000+ self-operated and 40,000 cooperative outlets, with a high density of offline presence.

Commentary

As a domestic internet giant, JD continues the rapid iteration characteristic of the internet industry. After the setback of JD Auto 1.0, JD Auto 2.0 quickly emerged, seeking a breakthrough for JD's automotive business. From a group strategic perspective, JD Auto is a key second growth line for the company, significantly expanding business boundaries and enhancing market competitiveness. However, it should be noted that gaining a foothold in the automotive sector is no easy feat, as evidenced by Didi's failed attempt to commission BYD for car manufacturing. How JD can fully leverage its platform strengths and Shenlan Auto's product advantages to achieve breakthroughs while avoiding weaknesses remains a critical consideration and planning challenge for the company.

(This article is original to Heyan Yueche and may not be reproduced without authorization.)