Tesla Integrates Alipay Payments Into Chinese Vehicles Under Ant Group Deal

Tesla has signed an agreement with Ant Group to embed the Alipay digital payment platform in its vehicles sold in China, a move aimed at adding localised smart features as competition intensifies in the world's largest electric-vehicle market. The deal, finalised on Tuesday, will bring an Alipay-powered smart parking service to Tesla's Chinese fleet, letting drivers settle parking fees directly through their in-car touchscreens. Alipay said the rollout would arrive through a forthcoming software update, though neither company disclosed a launch date or specified which models would receive the capability. Additional functions tied to what Alipay described as in-car lifestyle scenarios are still in development, the fintech firm added. The partnership places Elon Musk's company alongside Ant Group, the Chinese financial technology giant behind Alipay, as Tesla seeks to match domestic rivals on software and service integration. Neither party commented on the financial terms of the agreement.