Yahoo Autos All Acura EV Sales Will Be Conducted Online
Acura plans to conduct all sales of its upcoming electric models through an online purchase process, the automaker announced in a press release Wednesday.
Automotive News reported in December 2021 that Acura was working alongside a group of its dealers and the automotive retail platform Tekion to create a unique online shopping platform, which was slated to roll out alongside the upcoming Acura ZDX EV. Dealer collaboration in the program marks an important difference from other direct sale programs, launched by Tesla or BMW. American Honda vice president of sales Mamadou Diallo officially confirmed to media in a press briefing Tuesday that the online sales method will be rolling out with the ZDX when it arrives for the 2024 model year.
The exec said Acura sees its existing dealer network as a competitive advantage when entering the digital sales world.
“Our dealers are fully onboard,” said Diallo. “They’ve been involved. They understand we’re trying to address customer convenience and what that transaction might look like in the future.”
While this new approach from Acura will see all EV sales officially take place online, that won’t stop cars from arriving at dealer showrooms. Customers will still be able to stop by local dealers to window shop and get hands-on with a car, but all transactions will be handled by way of the internet.
“Whether that process starts in your living room or starts at your dealership where someone wants to touch and feel a car on the showroom floor… the dealers will still be part of that,” said Diallo.
Buyers will get their first chance to experience the system soon, as pre-orders for the ZDX SUV will open later in 2023. Deliveries should begin in the early part of 2024, according to the automaker. The new electric SUV utilizes the same 102.0-kWh Ultium battery pack as the Cadillac Lyriq, thanks to the development deal inked between Honda and GM. While we know that every Acura EV from here on out will be sold in this way, Diallo stated that the brand has not decided whether its internal combustion products will follow suit.
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