We typically associate mobile commerce with small ticket items like clothes, shoes and small electrical items. But one item which is also seeing strong sales via mobile apps is vehicles.

Once over the decision to purchase a new car would mean at least one weekend of trudging around various car showrooms (why can’t they all be located together!?), being hassled by a swathe of salesmen and test-driving a number of different cars. Now though, mobile has changed the whole buying process for both new and used care sales.

New car sales:

Mobile apps which allow users to gauge the value of their current car and therefore the trade-in valuation allows car-buyers to instantly get an idea of how much money they have to play with, as well as giving them the knowledge of an independent evaluation when it comes to the dealer giving them their price.

The availability of review sites, such as Which? Car on mobile devices, coupled with slick apps from manufacturers leave little need to traipse around trying to decide which make and model is the right one. Buyers can narrow it down to just one or two options before they even need to get out of their pyjamas.

Whilst it’s not really possible to buy a new car online, the process of doing all the research and decision making online shifts the sales focus for many big car companies, from needing to sell on the showroom floor to needing to sell through their online channels.

Used car sales:

The abundance of good, trusted mobile apps like AutoTrader make it exceptionally easy to find used cars via mobile devices. The ability to use GPS to find sellers nearby and contact sellers instantly in their preferred manner makes it an appealing option. Similarly to new car sales, mobile apps are being used increasing more often in the research and decision making processes, however unlike new cars, users are actually willing to buy used cars via their mobile.

Ebay’s motoring arm saw 45,000 vehicles bought via a smartphone in the first quarter of 2012, that’s a fifth of all Ebay UK car sales. It’s not just old bangers either; users are willing to part with serious money for high-end vehicles – for example £40,000 for a Porsche. Ebay’s inherent trustworthiness is obviously a key factor in this, but the ability to widen the search much further than is possible simply by driving around car showrooms is a huge appeal.

Whilst it may take some time for many users to feel comfortable making high value purchases via mobile devices, the car industry shows that it can work. Mobile apps and m-commerce is already changing the buying process in many sectors and it’s only going to continue to disrupt things.