Audi further expands its e-commerce offerings worldwide

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 crisis, Audi is intensifying its focus on digital solutions for its customers.

An online reservation tool for in-stock vehicles from Audi partners went live in the French market this week.

For a lump sum of $156, customers can immediately reserve available new and used cars from dealers via the Audi website and thus secure their dream car.

An initial pilot project with one Audi partner is now underway, with additional dealerships to follow successively over the course of the year.

With respect to financing, the Audi pilot project is first starting with cash purchases. For the medium term, the company is focusing on an end-to-end digital solution for financing and leasing through Audi Bank. Audi already started online sales of used cars in Germany in autumn 2017. Around 130 Audi partners offer an average of 4,000 used Audi models online there.

With Audi Live Consultation, for example, Audi is further expanding its digital sales business, offering dealers and customers a contactless alternative to visits to a dealership.

The application connects sales and service staff with customers and potential Audi buyers with the use of data glasses, which enables individual meetings to take place directly at and inside the car, regardless of location.

Audi also recently started answering questions about its vehicles' equipment details by using video tutorials. Audi dealers, especially those in China, have found creative digital solutions in recent months to keep in touch with customers and to win over new fans. Audi opted for a purely digital format when launching the new Audi A4 L, which is one of the brand's most popular models in the Chinese market. In addition, Chinese Audi partners have made use of live streams, virtual reality showrooms and 24-hour online consulting to stay in touch with customers. This means that about one in six Chinese customers initiated their Audi purchase online.