According to CNBC, Amazon plans to allow customers to purchase new cars on their site beginning in 2024.
There are lots of changes happening within the car industry in 2024. One of which being that Amazon plans to begin to actually sell new cars online. Amazon has been heading in this direction for a while, and customers can already purchase a variety of car parts and car-related items, as well as research current models, but soon they will be able to place an order for an entire new vehicle. Starting with Hyundai, "Amazon will let shoppers purchase a new car online, then pick it up or have it delivered by their local dealership. Consumers will be able to search for available vehicles in their area, make a selection, then check out on Amazon using their preferred payment and financing method" (CNBC). In return, Hyundai will introduce Amazon's Alexa into their vehicles starting in 2025.
This new set up will change the car-purchasing process, but dealers will still be the end seller. "Booking a test drive will not be available on Amazon, so customers will have to visit a dealer to get a feel for the car in person" and the dealership will still be the hub for the physical experience (Motortrend). However, "there will not be any haggling, threats to walk out to get a better deal, or price markups" (Motortrend). Dealerships will have to sign up to sell on Amazon, and not all will, but those that do will certainly affect the market.
Would you buy a new car through Amazon? How do you think this will affect used-car merchants like Carvana and Carmax?
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