Amit Saraswat 
Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, will soon start selling cars on its website in the US. The online retailer has partnered with Hyundai to sell cars online, which will likely be joined by more carmakers soon.
An online retailer that started its operations as a bookseller has quickly climbed the ladder to selling cars online. Starting in 2024, people in the United States will get the option to order a new Hyundai car online from Amazon. Consumers will get the option to search for available vehicles in their area, choose a particular model and place an order via their preferred payment or finance getaway.
Dealers to remain in the game
Unlike carmakers like Tesla and Rivian who have moved to a complete online retail platform, Amazon will place an order to your nearest dealership which will be responsible for the delivery of your vehicle. In addition, customers will get the option to either pick up their new vehicle by themselves or get it delivered to their doorstep. While Amazon’s car-buying service will begin in the US, the dealer-based sales network will enable Amazon to extend its service to other parts of the world, where carmakers are bound to function with their dealers by law.
AWS cloud servicing
Alongside the online car retail deal between Hyundai and Amazon, the carmaker has also appointed Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud service provider. Under the multi-year agreement, Hyundai plans to become a more data-driven organisation with the help of AWS, which excels in services like computing, storage, database, and analytics to generative AI and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Integrated Alexa in new-gen Hyundai cars
Starting in 2025, customers who purchase the next generation of Hyundai cars will be able to access their Alexa at home right from their car. Alongside the daily voice commands actions like playing music, podcasts, or audiobooks, setting reminders, updating to-do lists, and checking calendars, customers will also be able to give commands to their home-based Alexa devices. For instance, customers could ask Alexa to warm up the house, double-check door lock status and manage home lighting — the possibilities are endless.
Speaking about the partnership with Amazon, Jaehoon Chang, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, said, “Amazon is the ideal partner to help realize our vision of progress for humanity, including improving how people and goods move more efficiently and sustainably. Hyundai is the first automotive company available for full end-to-end transactions in Amazon’s U.S. store and this is another example of how we continue to push for ways to elevate the customer journey together with our outstanding retail partners.”
