Can you imagine walking up to a vending machine, inserting a coin in the slot, and waiting while it vends you a car? An actual car? You don’t have to imagine it, because Carvana has made it a reality with their car vending machines. These all-glass towers filled with vehicles have been popping up all across the nation. There are now Carvana car vending machines in cities in Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, and now in Washington, DC.
“Washington, DC residents have welcomed the new way to buy a car for nearly two years,” said Ernie Garcia, Carvana’s CEO. “We’re looking forward to bringing the fun car-buying experience we’re known for to even more people in the area.”
What Are Car Vending Machines?
Just as the name says, they are vending machines that vend cars instead of potato chips. Each vending machine is a fully-automated glass tower that can hold as many as 30 vehicles at a time within its eight stories. The ultra-modern look of the towers adds to the fun and uniqueness of the car buying experience.
Carvana seeks to disrupt the way car sales take place, and they seem to be doing a good job of it. They have put up ten towers in the past three years, with many more planned in the future.
How Do They Work?
Customers go to Carvana’s website, where they can browse through thousands of vehicles to find one that meets their needs. They can view the vehicle in 360-degrees, inside and out, to see any damage or imperfections. Once they’ve chosen a vehicle, they can set up financing, choose their payment terms, and pay for the car, all online.
The car is delivered to the vending machine for customer pickup in as few as 24 hours. There, the customer receives an oversized coin token to insert into the machine and have their car moved into the delivery bay. Customers who don’t live near a vending machine can pay an extra $200 to have their vehicle delivered to them. Each customer has 7 days to test-drive the vehicle before the sale is finalized.
Why Use a Car Vending Machine?
There are plenty of reasons why car buyers might choose a vending machine over a regular car dealership. First, there is the novelty of the experience. It’s not every day you get to put a giant coin into a huge vending machine and drive off with a new car. It could make for some good photo ops and a story to share.
The vending machines take away the need to talk to car dealers, which many customers find to be a plus. Customers who feel pressured when they browse car lots could find the vending machine experience to be a lot less stressful.
The vending towers themselves are helpful in areas where space is limited, such as crowded cities in Asia. When there is no room for a sprawling car dealership, a vertical tower makes a lot of sense. Asia has embraced the concept of car vending machines already; you can find Fords, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and even Bentleys being vended from machines across Asia.
DC Clear Auto Bra: Your East Coast Car Protection Specialists
The DC-area Carvana vending machine is located at 15710 Shady Grove Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland, and is open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. No matter how you purchase your next vehicle, DC Clear will keep it looking new with our paint protection films, ceramic clear coat, and industry-leading XPEL products. Call us today to schedule an appointment!
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Image credit: Business Wire
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