The question of what doesn’t Amazon sell has already been taken to the extreme over the year, as the online retailer branches out into even more verticals. Now we’re seeing yet another push for a new space, as Amazon announces a partnership with Hyundai that will see the automotive manufacturer begin listing its rides right on Amazon.com.
Amazon has been ramping up its focus in the automotive space for a while now. You’ve been able to shop for accessories and replacement parts via the online storefront for quite a bit, with some of Amazon’s usual magic that helps identify gear that’s actually compatible with your specific ride. Amazon even historically went as far to allow customers to browse car showrooms to shop around and compare prices – really everything but pull the trigger on your new purchase. Now that changes thanks to an announcement made today at the 2023 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Starting next year, Amazon will begin allowing car buyers to actually lock-in their purchase right from the same place you buy groceries and gadgets. The news comes directly from a partnership with Hyundai, which will also see the car maker begin to integrate Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant into its vehicles. But you’ll have to wait a bit longer for that to actually bear any fruits, as a 2025 date for that rollout is noted.
Buyers on Amazon will be able to choose payment and financing options, just as you would at an actual dealership. It’ll be an entirely digital shopping experience, with the option of either picking up your new vehicle, or having a local dealership handle delivery. Customers will be able to search on Amazon for available vehicles in their area based on a range of preferences, including model, trim, color, and features, choose their preferred car, and then check out online.
Hyundai is a very innovative company that shares Amazon’s passion for trying to make customers’ lives better and easier every day. Our broad, strategic partnership should do just that, from changing the ease with which customers can buy vehicles online, to making it simple to use Alexa in Hyundai vehicles for entertainment, shopping, smart home adjustments, and calendar checks, to enabling Hyundai to transform their customer experiences and business operations by moving to AWS. We look forward to inventing together for many years.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy
Today’s news is just the latest endeavor from Amazon that breaks the mold of what an online retailer can offer. We’ve previously seen healthcare initiatives announced to the same effect, and now it looks like the company has set its sights on getting a slice of the automotive industry. Of course, as of now we don’t have any insight on exactly which cars Amazon will be offering on its storefront courtesy of Hyundai – for that, we’ll have to wait for a further announcement likely sometime in 2024.
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