Ford and Alibaba Group established a joint effort to identify ways to redefine consumer retail experiences and explore solutions for sustainable mobility in China and around the world.

Both companies will investigate ways that mobility technology could redefine online retail marketing, distribution strategies, cloud connectivity and infotainment services, Ford said in a release. In the initial phase of the effort, 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.

Jason Luo, chairman and CEO of Ford China, and Simon Hu, SVP of Alibaba, president of Alibaba Cloud and president of AliOS signed the strategic cooperation agreement on behalf of both organizations, according to Ford. Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett and Daniel Zhang, Alibaba Group CEO, witnessed the signing of the letter of intent between the two companies at Alibaba’s headquarter in Hangzhou.

Ford will cooperate with Alibaba’s four business units in operation system, cloud computing, digital marketing and online retail respectively and jointly explore a variety of areas of cooperation including mobility services, connectivity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital marketing.

Alibaba aims to learn from Ford via its global operations. Meanwhile, Ford looks to leverage 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.