Yes, Volvo has joined the growing number of manufactures planning to go fully electric by the 2030s. What sets it apart, though, is that the manufacturer plans to sell its “completely new family of electric cars” entirely online.
Hoping to buy that brand-new, all-electric Volvo from the local dealership come 2030? No dice.
The press release doesn’t confirm this, but we …
I predict that the National Auto Dealers Assoc tries to sue Volvo out of existence.
Yes.
John Welsh said:I predict that the National Auto Dealers Assoc tries to sue Volvo out of existence.
I bet you $1 they will not be successful.
Let's meet here again in 2031.
Sounds pretty great actually. Select what I want, wait for it to show up at some location in my general area or it gets delivered to where I live, and I pay a price that probably isn't different from what it was advertised at? No dingbat saying how he has to talk to his manager for 20 minutes before he can come back and lie to me some more?
Sign me up.
The dealership model is a dysfunctional, broken piece of E36 M3.
Why ANY manufacturer would allow a potential customer to be treated that way completely blows me away.
There's real opportunity in pulling the rug out from under the dealers.
Unfortunately there probably won't be the same deals available if you know how to take advantage of, or are willing to put up with the dealer nonsense to get what you want.
As long as I could test drive one somewhere sure.
No. But I don't buy new cars so...
The last three cars I bought were sight-unseen from halfway across the country, and those were used. I *did* test drive an auto version of my Clubman to see how I liked it and to see if my 29er would fit in the back (it did! haha), but the other two were more like educated guesses. All three have worked out well.
If I was in the market for a new Volvo, I'd assume that all I would learn on a test drive is that it is as numb as it could possibly be, so yea, I'd buy one without the world's most boring test drive.
I'm glad to see that the general consensus is that this is a pretty good idea. I know some of us don't normally buy new cars, but the fact that many of us have bought used cars of various conditions mostly online is proof enough for me that this sales model can work.
Besides, I never really understood why the current dealership method of selling cars is the "preferred" method of selling cars.
I would think for a car company without a current extensive brick and mortar dealer network, online/digital sales model would have advantages to reach more potential customers. But for me, I would still need to see, feel, drive, taste... the car I was buying through some means. However, my sons and their generation seem more comfortable and willing to buy big ticket items without the same level of interaction before purchasing. I would not miss the current dealer based purchase process.
I mean...
I think the Tesla model works. You can go to a showroom to touch and drive the cars. But you don't have the idiotic rigamarole of trying to buy the thing. The price is the price and it's known and you don't have to waste anyone's time.
I think Ford is attempting to do this with the Mach E as well.
Peabody said:Unfortunately there probably won't be the same deals available if you know how to take advantage of, or are willing to put up with the dealer nonsense to get what you want.
And that's exactly what keeps people wanting to work with dealers. They think there's a deal available because they've read a website on how to outnegotiate a professional negotiator. In reality, all you can do is prevent yourself from being overcharged TOO badly. The dealer knows what their minimum price is, they're just trying to keep you from getting there.
I would need some way of doing a test drive first. While I can reasonably expect a new car to not have mechanical problems, I would need to make sure that the seats are comfortable, that there is adequate head room and leg room, that the driving dynamics are acceptable, etc.
Assuming I was buying a new car? Yes. Absolutely.
I kinda did already. When we bought the Crosstrek almost 3 years ago we handled all of the negotiation and paperwork over email. A test drive happened at a local dealer and when our car was delivered.
The model works if you know what you are getting. I dont think it works if youre just browsing. At least for people like us. I have friends that would buy cars purely on a photo and spec sheet. Im not sure I could do that but if the future of cars is the skateboard platform electric car and they all kinda do the same thing then maybe a testdrive wont matter.
Like it or not this is how most new vehicles will be purchased in the very near future imo. Dealerships will allow you to test drive a model that is more or less similar options wise. And from there it will be an online purchase. And some buyers won't even bother with a test drive.
Saturn did the "one price no hassle" thing. My wife bought a Saturn. The two door SC2. (which looked pretty sporty but... let's say disappointing).
Anyway: Lots of ladies bought Saturns.
The ladies absolutely hated the dealer experience, the "let me talk to my manager" BS, etc.
Oh, hell yes.
I've already mostly given up on brick and mortar retail just because it so often disappoints. Why drive across town only to have them tell you the item you want is out of stock? I can find it online at a better price and have it delivered free to my door. I've probably bought more stuff online than at stores for at least ten years. Retail is dead.
Why should cars be any different?
Keith Tanner said:Peabody said:Unfortunately there probably won't be the same deals available if you know how to take advantage of, or are willing to put up with the dealer nonsense to get what you want.
And that's exactly what keeps people wanting to work with dealers. They think there's a deal available because they've read a website on how to outnegotiate a professional negotiator. In reality, all you can do is prevent yourself from being overcharged TOO badly. The dealer knows what their minimum price is, they're just trying to keep you from getting there.
I thought all I had to do was ask the salesman "what's the lowest you'll take?"
The dealers will continue to fight this, of course, and I'm not sure who I'd bet on in that fight. I'd hate to be a volvo dealer right now, though, and find out that you've got about a decade to wrap things up and find something else to do.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
For various reasons some people consistently do better than others. They’re not likely to benefit from such a scheme.
Yes, berkeley car dealers
I would. I've been buying cars at a fixed price for almost 30 years now, and that won't change unless I stop getting cars from a specific place.
What sucks is that I still have to go through the long procedure to get the car- it should take a few min to turn in one car and pick up another- but it always takes over an hour. I never get any extras, and they know that, but I still have to talk to that person.
Getting a car should not be stressful.
Actually, another thing sucks, even though I get a car at a fixed price, and it should be that way all over this region, I still have found myself shopping around. That's moronic. And there are dealers who don't want to swap cars with other dealers, even though the name on the car is the same. Beyond frustrating as a consumer.
On line only would take care of that.
The last time I bought a new car in person (in 2010), I had a fixed price as well. And it was still a PITA, as Alfa has said.
Meanwhile, the car I bought online was supposed to be delivered to me. That wasn't going to happen by a specific date, so I changed it to pickup at a dealer in a different state with one phone call.
Peabody said:In reply to Keith Tanner :
For various reasons some people consistently do better than others. They’re not likely to benefit from such a scheme.
Or maybe they will just benefit less than those who aren't awesome negotiators.
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