Audi adds new twist to shopping made easy

By CARSIFU | 23 April 2015


INGOLSTADT: Here's an oddball idea Audi has come up with. Order something online and get it shipped to your car boot instead of a home or office address.

Audi plans to start a pilot project in Munich where parcels are delivered to the boot of a car but only if it's an Audi.

It is working with DHL Parcel and Amazon to fine-tune the logistics service which will undergo the trial run in May.

The Audi connect easy delivery will operate through temporary authorisation for keyless access to the car’s luggage compartment.

If the Audi owner agrees to the tracking of their automobile for the specific delivery time frame, the DHL driver handling the parcel receives a digital access code for the trunk of the customer’s vehicle. It can be used one time only for a specific period of time and expires as soon as the luggage compartment has been closed again.

Similarly, Audi connect easy delivery customers will also be able to send letters and parcels from their own car in the future.

With this logistics service, Audi said customers would enjoy flexibility in controlling the delivery of their orders. The service also promotes efficiency as it avoids unsuccessful attempts to encounter customers at the specified address and therefore reduces the amount of traffic on the roads.

If the delivery fails, then the customer can collect the package from the nearest DHL store.

“With comprehensive connectivity, we are transforming the car into a service device and integrating it even more closely into the everyday lives of our customers,” says Luca de Meo, Member of the Board of Management for Sales at AUDI AG. “Audi connect easy delivery helps save time and offers more convenience and flexibility – advantages that are increasingly important for the target group of a premium brand.”

While the idea sounds plausible in theory, we reckoned many Audi owners will not want total strangers gaining entry to their expensive rides. And there remained security and privacy concerns as the plan is open to abuse.

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