SEATTLE, WA – This week, Amazon is taking yet another step to further its goals of world conquest with the launch of a new service that allows users of the e-commerce giant’s website to purchase new cars, trucks, and SUVs online for pickup at local dealerships.
Following its announcement in late 2023, Amazon Autos’ beta site launched on Tuesday in partnership with Hyundai, with the service currently covering cities in 48 of the nation’s 50 states, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York; additional cities and vehicle brands will be added in 2025.
In practice, Amazon Autos will function much like the overall general shopping experience one would encounter when using the Amazon.com website; consumers can search the inventory of participating dealers – including model, trim, color, and desired features – based on location, secure financing, and e-sign paperwork to finalize the transaction. Once all of that is taken care of, the buyer can arrange an in-person pickup of their new ride from the dealership in question.
Amazon representatives have also pledged to provide transparency when it comes to participating dealer pricing to eliminate the need for negotiation and haggling; all taxes and fees will be presented up-front and included in the final price.
While Amazon Autos can even handle trade-ins if the customer has one, users of the site can only currently purchase new vehicles via the platform, which runs in contrast to most companies that handle online vehicle sales; services such as AutoTrader, Carvana, and Carmax mainly deal in used vehicle sales.
In addition, Amazon Autos has noted that they will be expanding financing options for customers in 2025, as well as adding vehicle leasing services.
Given Amazon’s massive online retail presence, its likely that many automotive brands will follow Hyundai’s lead and join the Amazon Autos service when given the opportunity.
Christopher Boyle is an investigative journalist, videographer, reporter and writer for SEARCHEN NETWORKS® as well as other independent news and media organizations in the United States. Christopher works on a wide variety of topics and fields, has been featured in print and online in a variety of publications, from local to national, and helps keep a keen-eye on what’s happening in the automotive world for Auto Buyers Market.