Amazon has quietly expanded its Amazon Autos car sales program, which launched in late 2024 starting with Hyundai, to now include Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Chevrolet, and Jeep across more than 130 U.S. cities. The platform lets customers browse inventory from nearby participating dealerships and complete most of their financing paperwork without spending the whole day at a showroom. Technically, due to local and state laws, customers can only purchase cars from dealerships in some regions, and Amazon Autos helps streamline the process between the two parties.
Here's a brief timeline of Amazon Autos' major milestones:
- December 2024 – Amazon Autos officially launches with Hyundai as its first brand partner across 48 U.S. cities.
- August 2025 – Amazon partners with Hertz to sell certified pre-owned vehicles across four cities.
- November 2025 – Ford joins Amazon Autos as the first non-Hyundai new brand partner, offering certified pre-owned vehicles in three cities.
- March 2026 – Amazon adds Kia, Subaru, and Mazda to Amazon Autos in select U.S. locations.
- April 2026 – Chevrolet and Jeep are added to the platform, bringing the total new car brands to seven: Hyundai, Ford, Kia, Mazda, Subaru, Chevrolet, and Jeep. The platform is now active in 130+ U.S. cities with hundreds of participating dealers.
- Upcoming – Amazon has confirmed plans to launch Amazon Autos in the U.K., though no specific date has been given.
That's some impressive growth in just 16 months! My daughter was still wearing diapers at that age.
Why does Amazon care about auto sales?
Ads, baby! Car companies are projected to spend over $30B on ads this year, and Amazon Autos is a way for Amazon to capture some of that market.
I've predicted the future of what impact Amazon Autos will have on the auto industry and backed my theories with recent evidence, so I'll spare you the lecture in today's edition. Plus, it sounds like my “I told you so” moment is coming sooner than expected anyway. In the meantime, best of luck to all these dealerships. Toys ‘R Us sends their regards.