Anyone lucky enough to be looking at buying a new car in the next few months will be able to make their purchase via Amazon from 2024.
The so-called “amazonification” of the automotive sector will begin with Korean auto giant Hyundai. Purchasers will be able to choose their vehicle online and it will be delivered to their door or to a local dealership for customer collection. Industry commenters expect other car manufacturers to follow suit.
“More responsive and interactive”
It may seem counter-intuitive to make such a large purchase online, especially one that traditionally involves multiple trips to different dealers to get a “feel” for the right vehicle and how its interaction design matches the driver’s expectations and needs. However, Tesla has already broken that model by pioneering a direct-to-consumer approach, selling via its website. As Wired points out, it is in fact “increasingly common to buy EVs online” and that the ability to buy your vehicle online really “picked up steam during the pandemic”.
Commenting on the new partnership, Amazon said, “This new shopping experience will create another way for dealers to build awareness of their selection and offer convenience to their customers.”
Hyundai has also selected AWS as its preferred cloud provider and next-generation Hyundai vehicles will be even more responsive and interactive with Alexa Built-in.
Amazon
Cloud-first tech
Over recent years the car industry has focused heavily on seamless connectivity and moved rapidly towards in-car upgrades and purchasing options fed to drivers while-they-drive. This has involved a colossal mind-set shift by car manufacturers, who have had to realise they are not just hardware suppliers but software developers and designers too.
Hyundai is one of those companies about to undergo a root-and- branch digitalisation, embracing “cloud-first” technology. To assist on this journey, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Hyundai have even put together a Master Builder training and certification program designed to equip Hyundai engineers with the cloud skills to underpin this digital odyssey. Hyundai has also announced its existing on-site research, product development and engineering, and customer engagement work will all shift onto the AWS platform.
By adopting AWS, manufacturers may be able to sidestep at least some of the huge leap forward that faces them and avoid some of the difficulty of turning a massive hardware supplier into a digital-first company. Amazon’s web services will give Hyundai access to established analytics, AI, computing and database capabilities, as well as the “Internet of Things” and storage.
Drivers, meanwhile, may be faced with less driving and more smart- home options, for example to turn on their heating or close windows, listen to audiobooks, or get the lighting just right as you arrive home with your date. Exactly what that means for safety, interaction design and driver attention spans, remains to be seen.
