Starbucks is serving kerbside coffee to users of Alibaba’s Amap app in China.

Nearly 150 Starbucks stores in Beijing and Shanghai are offering the kerbside service. Work-bound consumers can place and pick up orders without leaving their cars. They can order their drink through Alibaba Amap navigation tool and collect the coffee during their morning or evening commute.

Travellers select their destination on Amap, click on the Starbucks Curbside icon and place an order at a store along their route. An employee will deliver the food and drinks to the vehicle.

“Designed to help customers navigate the hustle and bustle of urban lifestyles in China, Starbucks Curbside exemplifies our relentless pursuit of innovation in service of our customers,” said Judy Zhang, vice president of digital ventures for Starbucks in China.

Some 100 Starbucks locations in Beijing and nearly 50 in Shanghai are offering the kerbside service and 850 more across China will join in the coming year.

Amap uses real-time route planning and positioning technologies to guarantee the speed and precision of the service. The programme can also pinpoint exactly when users will arrive at the store to notify baristas when to begin preparing orders.

“As a ‘to-destination’ service platform, we are committed to improving user experience through consistent and innovative navigation technologies,” said Lu Tan, product manager at Amap.

Starbucks operates more than 6000 stores in China, making it one of the company’s largest and fastest-growing markets.