The second-hand vehicle portal certified by has completed its first year in Spain with 400 participating dealers and 18,000 cars offered from 42 brands, and in 2022 it plans to reach up to 650 dealers in the country, as explained to elEconomista by the general director in Spain, Fedor Artiles.
The platform owned by and by the Allianz insurer, wants to take advantage of the boom in second-hand demand due to the lack of new vehicles due to the semiconductor supply crisis, and it is not only a virtual showcase for dealers, it will also boost online sales , growing due to the restrictions of the pandemic: “The willingness to buy a car online has risen from 30% to 60%,” Artiles details.
After the summer, Heycar launched its e-commerce of pre-owned vehicles in Spain, including commercial vehicles, which has meant expanding staff – there are 30 people at the national headquarters in Barcelona, plus 20 who work for the country from the technological development center of Berlin – and is already in talks to add two more brands next year, while also working to add online services for dealers. Now, customers can view the vehicle via videoconference, purchase it from home, and pick it up at the dealership. Artiles points out that “they can return it in 15 days, but it has never happened.”
The company chose Spain as the third country in which to land in December 2020 thanks to the incorporation of Seat as an entry partner and leader of the Spanish market, and in this first year it has become its fastest growing territory. This December it has just opened in France and the Netherlands, and shareholders have contributed capital to undertake a strategic plan that involves opening more than 10 countries in the next five years. They will be added to those already mentioned and to Germany (where the firm debuted in 2017) and the United Kingdom (2019).
During the year 2022 it also intends to add more shareholders, both manufacturers and insurers and financial services companies, with the aim of offering a complete package at advantageous conditions for those looking for a second-hand vehicle, always maintaining its multi-brand approach: “73% of customers who are looking for second-hand have not decided on the brand and it even bothers them that there is only one brand on a website”.
Stock reduction
Heycar focuses on second-hand vehicles from official dealers, a segment in which it has captured 75% of the Spanish market, but the persistent shortage of chips is beginning to affect, since there are no surpluses and fleet renewals are slowing down of companies due to lack of relief.
Some dealers are importing vehicles to meet local demand, and at this time shipments arrive from rental companies, which update their cars with the change of year.
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