BMW i3 EV to go online, dealers condemn the decision of online sales

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The anxiously expected BMW i3, announced to be officially presented on 29th of July, is not only going to revolutionize the EV segment of the German car maker, but also introduce the online sales option.

According to Lorraine Kruger, sales director of BMW Group, the officials are considering pushing the new i3 electric car towards online sales, with serious intentions of extending this feature for all their other units, in the near future.

Under the pretext that times are changing, buyers’ needs and expectations are changing and BMW’s offerings should adjust to these changes, the auto maker is actually trying to implement a cost saving campaign.

Even so, the possibility of booking test drives online and have the BMW delivered to your door, or making service schedules online are rather tempting opportunities.

If it will be put into practice, the BMW units will be available online in Germany and only in the most important cities, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and several others included. Nevertheless, it would mean that over 40 small outlets should be closed.

The negative impact on brick and mortar centers is definitely something to make BMW dealers oppose to this change of strategy. One of their arguments – which, we have to admit, is quite pertinent – is that all these features might make the company deal with buyers who have no real intention of purchase!

What do you think of BMW’s proposal? Are there facilities that can be transferred online and options that should stay in offline no matter what?

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Marcus M.

https://www.bmwcoop.com