Carvana opens 25th ‘car vending machine’

An omnichannel platform for buying and selling used cars is rolling its newest automated order fulfillment location into Kentucky.

Carvana is opening a “car vending machine” in Louisville, Kentucky. The structure stands eight stories tall and holds 27 vehicles. The vending machine is designed to offer a fast and convenient pickup option for customers who purchase a vehicle on the Carvana platform.

In as little as 10 minutes, customers can shop more than 15,000 vehicles on the site, finance, purchase, trade-in, and schedule as-soon-as-next-day pickup at the car vending site or home delivery of that vehicle. (Area residents can also sell their current vehicle to Carvana regardless of whether they are purchasing a replacement.)

Customers who decide to pick up their car at the vending kiosk are greeted by a customer “advocate.” By appointment only, customers can select a day and time convenient for them, at which time they will be the only customer inside the vending machine. They receive a commemorative, oversized Carvana coin to activate the vending process, and then watch as their vehicle descends the all-glass tower. The process takes only minutes, according to the company. All vehicles come with a seven-day return policy.

Louisville is the first Carvana car vending machine location in Kentucky and the 25th in the U.S., joining counterparts in Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Maryland, Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, California, and Oklahoma. 

“Just three years ago we brought the new way to buy a car to Louisville, and customers have continued to enjoy the ease and convenience we offer,” said Ernie Garcia, founder and CEO of Carvana. “As we enhance our presence here with the launch of our newest car vending machine, we look forward to providing area residents with a fun, safe option for getting their next vehicle.”