Ryan Keeton calls Carvana an "Amazon for autos."
"We sell cars online much like Amazon sells a lot of things online," said Keeton, a co-founder and chief brand officer for the company that earlier this week launched operations in Chattanooga and Knoxville.
Chattanooga area residents can browse, finance, purchase, and trade-in their old vehicles online in as little as 10 minutes, and then have their used cars and trucks delivered as soon as the next day, according to the publicly traded company founded in 2012.
Keeton said that, like traditional dealerships, Carvana inspects, conditions and certifies its used vehicles. Potential buyers can view vehicles on its website using 360 degree technology and use "no-haggle" purchasing, he said.
The company also offers a platform for customers to complete necessary forms and contracts online, Keeton said. Buyers can obtain financing online and determine how much their interest rate and payment will be, he said.
"It gives customers more control," said the company official.
In addition, customers can conduct trade-ins online, he said.
"You can sell it to us," Keeton said. "We come to you to take the car and give you a check. We deliver the [newly purchased] car to you."
Typically, Carvana employs from five to 10 people in a market depending on its size in what he called "non-customer" locations where workers ready, deliver and pick up vehicles.
Two years ago, Carvana brought what it calls "the world's first coin-operated, fully automated car vending machine" to Nashville. People can drive to Nashville and pick up their car if they want to, Keeton said.
"Extending the Carvana experience to even more Tennesseans, with free, as-soon-as-next-day delivery to residents of Chattanooga and Knoxville, was a logical next step," said Ernie Garcia, CEO of Phoenix-based Carvana, about the new service in East Tennessee.
Consumers can browse more than 7,000 vehicles on Carvana.com, according to the company, which claims its customers save an average of $1,430 compared to the Kelley Blue Book suggested retail value.
"We don't have as much overhead," Keeton said.
Carvana has delivered vehicles to customers in 48 states and offers free, as-soon-as next-day delivery to residents in 35 markets, the company said.
Carvana raised $205.9 million in a stock offering in May to help fund more market expansions by the company.
Since the launch of its first market in January 2013, Carvana has purchased, reconditioned, sold and delivered approximately 46,600 vehicles to customers through its website, generating $910.2 million in revenue.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.