US-based automotive portal Carvana.com has taken online car sales to the next level by launching a used car vending machine in Houston, Texas.
The eight story structure houses 30 vehicles. Customers will have already picked out and ordered their car online from Carvana and scheduled an appointment to pick it up. Then they’ll collect an oversize token to insert into a coin slot, activating the gears and lifts that bring the vehicle down to one of four delivery bays.
The original goal of this venture was to make car buying fun. But the structure also cuts real estate expenses, allowing the company to pack up to 30 cars on about two acres of land.
“We believe car buying should be fun,” said Ryan Keeton, co-founder of Carvana in an interview with Chron.com.
The company operates in 21 markets and has been in Houston for 1½ years. The local car vending machine will be its second but not its last as it expands the concept to other cities.
