Chinese E-Commerce Giant JD Partners With Xpeng Motors to Install Charging Piles

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, Inc. signed an agreement with Xpeng Motors on Tuesday, providing Xpeng’s customers with services for their electric vehicles.

JD Service Plus, launched by JD in 2018, will provide integrated managed services for Xpeng electric vehicles, including measurement, installation, maintenance and after-sales service of home charging piles, which are typically used for single-vehicle charging.

Additionally, JD Service Plus will provide intelligent storage management solutions for Xpeng’s household charging piles, allowing electric car users to install piles nearby according to actual demand to ensure faster response times.

“Xpeng outsources this service and uses the advantages of JD to reduce its own resource input in this area,” said Kang Jun, a Shanghai-based senior LMC Automotive analyst. “For JD.com, the construction of charging piles is a popular industry encouraged by the country, and it definitely wants to participate.”

Xpeng’s decision to partner with JD Service Plus was taken with care, an Xpeng spokesperson said.

“We were very cautious in choosing a partner for home charging services, because this is an important part of the car owner’s consumer experience,” he said.

JD Service Plus is empowering partners by assisting emerging industries in solving common pain points, such as the question of how new electric vehicle owners can charge their vehicles with limited space and knowledge about whether their parking garage has the correct conditions for installation, according to JD.

JD Service Plus was officially launched in May 2018, focusing on installation, maintenance, and cleaning services in the three major areas of electronic products, home appliances, and home furnishing. It offers “one-click, worry-free services”, with the ability to provide full-scale services across China, including assessment and installation within 72 hours, and repair and maintenance, according to JD.

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In August, Guangzhou-based Xpeng raised $1.5 billion in an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange.

In recent years, the electric automobile industry has gained more and more attention in China.

During this year’s National Two Sessions (National People’s Congress and National People’s Political Consultative Conference), a government work report pointed to the importance of “building charging piles and promoting electric vehicles” as an important component of strengthening the infrastructure of this emerging industry.

In response, government entities across China pledged to devote resources toward supporting this goal. This year, the State Grid plans to invest 2.7 billion yuan and add 78,000 charging piles with 53,000 in residential areas.

Additionally, Shanghai, Henan, Shandong, Sichuan and other places have introduced development plans for household charging piles, introducing supporting policies such as electricity subsidies and simplified procedures.