RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The expectation for the 2020 to 2021 turn of the year was for recovery and innovation. If the plans of many companies have been deferred with the surge of the pandemic in this first quarter, Volvo intends to stick to its planning for this year which marks the start of a new decade.
Not only due to Volvo’s decision to go 100% electric by 2030 – even hybrids will be discontinued. But also because of the Swedish manufacturer’s initiative to change the way it sells cars. All models will be sold entirely online, thereby providing dealers with another function.
This will soon start in Brazil. The newcomer will be the Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure (electric), which is scheduled to be launched here in August simultaneously with the launch abroad. “All the brand’s next launches will be electric and sold online, including here in Brazil,” says Luis Resende, head of Volvo Cars’ Latin American division.
In an interview, the executive stated that the brand has been preparing this change for some time. “Our invoicing is already conducted directly, with no intermediary, and therefore we are one step away from going 100% online.”
The dealership network would continue to exist, but its focus would be much more on after-sales. “We are working on a platform that will make the consumer experience very intuitive and 360,” says Resende.
This platform will even be able to schedule a test drive and also, after purchase, deliver the car to the owner’s home. “There are a number of brands around here that have already adopted this initiative of delivering the car at home, driven by the pandemic. We want this service to become our most common sales practice,” says the executive.
It is worth noting that the American Tesla was a pioneer in offering this online shopping experience, including home delivery. And it doesn’t even have a dealership network.
When asked about how this news was received by Volvo dealers, Resende confirms that the network has been preparing for this process for some time and that they are part of it, in addition to the fact that it is a path with no return, just like electrification.
In addition to the XC40 Recharge Pure, Volvo’s next electric car, the C40 Recharge will also be included in the new sales approach. Resende confirmed its arrival here in January 2022.