Amazon Autos Ramps Up Focus on New Car Sales

Amazon is reportedly expanding its car-selling program as it focuses on partnerships with automotive dealers.

The company’s Amazon Autos service, which began with a collaboration with Hyundai, has grown to include Chevrolet, Jeep, Kia, Mazda and Subaru, and is active in more than 130 cities, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Monday (April 13).

By expanding this program, the report added, Amazon is venturing into one of America’s largest retail businesses: new car sales. Roughly $1.3 trillion of cars were sold by dealerships in the U.S. during 2025, the WSJ said, citing the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Amazon debuted the Amazon Autos program at the end of 2024, with the goal of letting customers  browse and buy a car from nearby participating dealers.

The system lets buyers complete the purchase and financing at home and spend less time in the dealership, while dealers get a chance to market their cars to drivers who are at home scrolling through their phones.

“I think it’s a really innovative product,” Matthew Phillips, whose California Kia dealership that recently began selling new vehicles on Amazon, told the WSJ.

The report said Phillips has sold just one vehicle on Amazon in the past month and a half — a $55,000 Kia Carnival minivan — though he expects the business to grow.

“Customers have a level of comfort with Amazon, but it’s definitely just in the starting phase,” he said.

This dealership is among hundreds Amazon says it has signed up, the WSJ reported.

“While still early days, we are seeing a strong response from customers and dealers and we continue to expand vehicle availability across the country,” said Fan Jin, director of Amazon Autos.

The WSJ also notes that Amazon could see potential from this program beyond just auto sales, as car company ads are a $30 billion-per-year business.

Meanwhile, PYMNTS wrote last month about the rising use of artificial intelligence (AI) among car dealerships to capture more digital leads, streamline operations and manage increasing costs across sales and service. Fifty-seven percent of dealership staff report using the technology, per industry surveys.

“As car buying increasingly begins online, dealers are adopting AI systems that help them respond faster to potential customers, prioritize the most promising leads and automate administrative tasks that once consumed hours of staff time,” that report said.