You Could Buy Your Next Car on Amazon, Seriously — But There's a Not-So-Convenient Catch The list of items available for purchase on the massive ecommerce platform keeps growing.
By Amanda Breen Edited by Jessica Thomas
Key Takeaways
- People will be able to shop for Hyundai vehicles on Amazon's website.
- Customers will select their vehicle from a local Hyundai dealer's inventory and pick it up at a dealership.
- The partnership aims to provide a seamless online car-buying experience, with financing information and monthly payment calculations available on the Amazon website.
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From clothing to electronics, groceries and more, there are few things Amazon customers can't purchase on the ecommerce company's sprawling platform.
Soon, motor vehicles will be added to that list. People will be able to browse and purchase cars and SUVs through Amazon's website, with Hyundai being the first automaker to partner with the company, CNN Business reported.
Image Credit: ROBYN BECK | Getty Images. Amazon Vice President of Worldwide Corporate Business Development Marty Mallick, left, and Hyundai Global President and Chief Operating Officer Jose Munoz speak at the Hyundai press conference at Automobility LA.
Related: Amazon Expands Eco-friendly Electric Vehicle Fleet
Although customers won't have their newly bought Hyundai Santa Fe or Sonata delivered directly to their homes, the process aims to replicate the convenience of online shopping as much as possible. Once a vehicle is chosen from a local Hyundai dealer's inventory, customers will pick it up at a dealership.
Hyundai, owned by South Korea-based Hyundai Motor Group, is one of the top-performing new vehicle manufacturers in the U.S., according to automotive data and analysis provider S&P Mobility. As of last year, it ranked as the No. 3 original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in the U.S. based on retail market share.
The Amazon-Hyundai arrangement is in line with the laws in most U.S. states, which protect auto dealerships from direct sales by automakers, per CNN. The ability to buy cars online has been controversial for other automakers like Tesla and Rivian, which prefer to sell directly to consumers.
The Amazon website will offer financing information and a monthly payment calculation tool, the success of which will play a crucial role in the overall user experience. Customers will have the option to search dealership inventories, view vehicle pricing and initiate purchases through the Amazon website, but the selection will be limited to vehicles already available in dealers' inventories. Although the ability to select a vehicle online is not entirely new, it gained momentum during the Covid-19 pandemic when physical dealership visits were restricted.
Related: Hyundai Creates a Car With a Roof-Based Solar Charging System
Hyundai and Amazon have also announced other collaborations. Amazon will provide data storage for Hyundai, and future Hyundai models will include Alexa voice assistant. Hyundai dealerships are not obligated to participate in the program, but they have the option to opt in.
