Car vending machine drives into KC skyline with Carvana’s launch off Southwest Boulevard
May 9, 2019 | Austin Barnes and Tommy Felts
Towering over Southwest Boulevard, Missouri’s first Carvana location has been parked in Kansas City and it’s finally ready to rev its engine, Amy O’Hara confirmed Thursday.
“It’s a beautiful location and we’re looking forward to showing everyone our signature car vending machine experience and the new way to buy a car,” said O’Hara, Carvana associate director of communications.
Initial plans for the location — which sits at 1700 W. 29th Street just off I-35 and Cambridge Circle, south of the downtown skyline — were filed with the city last spring.
Click here to checkout Carvana in action.
A disruptor within the automotive space, customers insert a special novelty coin into a slot and watch as one of the machine’s 27 cars is delivered from the eight-story, glass enclosure — which serves as a dramatic show-piece, O’Hara explained of Carvana’s eye-catching appeal and whimsical delivery process.
“Customers can go on Carvana.com, shop more than 15,000 vehicles, finance, and then select next-day delivery or car vending machine pick up of that vehicle. All in as little as 10 minutes from the comfort of home, on the go,” she said.
Keep reading below the photo gallery from inside Carvana.
Next-day delivery has been available — and successful — in the metro since last year, O’Hara clarified.
In addition to the Kansas City vending machine launch, Carvana also on Thursday rolled out next-day delivery in Topeka.
Kansas City’s vending machine is the 18th U.S. location for the Phoenix-based Carvana since it was founded in 2012. Other site locations include Tennessee, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, the company said.
“We’ve found that area residents appreciate our new way to buy a car, and as we grow our presence in the Midwest, we’re proud to add a car vending machine to Kansas City’s skyline … ” Ernie Garcia, founder and CEO, said in a press release.
While she couldn’t speak to future plans, O’Hara noted that Carvana continues to expand quickly, when asked if a second metro location was possible.
“We have opened up more vending machines this year — so far — than we have previously,”
O’Hara said. “As long as we see an opportunity to be a member of the community and be part of the market, we’ll certainly explore options.”
Kansas City’s Carvana will be open Monday through Saturday and offer free pickup for customers, the company said.
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