04. BMW To Sell Cars Directly Over The Internet
BMW's new i lineup of electric and hybrid vehicles is already unique, but the sales strategy that will be used to move them out onto the streets is also one-of-a-kind. Bloomberg has published a story that details how the BMW i3 and the BMW i8 will be sold directly over the Internet to customers without using dealerships as intermediaries. This type of online sales initiative is unique in the industry, with all other car companies content to allow dealers to run their own Internet efforts. Traditional showrooms will still exist for the automobiles - as will test drives - which begs the question of just how many individuals will take advantage of the online option. After all, what kind of buyer would shell out six figures for a high end electric supercar that they’ve never even seen or touched, let alone driven.