The Japanese unit of German auto giant BMW on Wednesday started selling its i3 electric models on Amazon.co.jp.
BMW’s i3 has been popular in European and North American markets, but BMW Japan wants to find more customers through the online retailer. For Yahoo News, a BMW spokesman said Amazon increases the distribution channels for BMW Japan. “We have 46 dealers (which sell the electric model) in Japan, but we hope this e-selling will cover the entire market more thoroughly,” the spokesman said.
“This will widen the sales channel and improve convenience for customers,” he said.
“So many people are using the website. We would like to research potential customer groups who may be interested in our products.”
Sustainable products may not always easily fit into traditional sales channels, especially since they cater initially to early adopters and technophiles, and Tesla has been experimenting with online sales since its inception. Tesla’s business model is built upon custom-order online sales, using small stores in key locations to highlight their products. Recently, BMW has also opened another sales channel through their pop-up stores.
On Amazon Japan, customers can add the i3 to the cart just like any other product, but they will have to wait for a phone call from BMW requesting documents they have a parking space and place to charge the vehicle.
