'Coin-operated vending machine' dispensing used cars proposed for KC

Vending machines are handy places to get a 2 p.m. caffeine fix or a bag of chips, but did you ever imagine buying a car that way?

Carvana would like to change that.

The 6-year-old Phoenix-based online car sales company has proposed a fully automated, eight-story "car vending machine" for Kansas City buyers. Anyone who buys a used car through Carvana would be able to pick up their car as soon as the next day.

A Carvana customer would arrive at the vending machine, proposed for a site near I-35 and 29th Street in Kansas City, and receive an oversized branded coin. After the customer drops it in the slot, the car descends down the tower and arrives in a delivery bay to take home. Customers who prefer it could have cars delivered to their home. Carvana began offering free delivery in Kansas City in January.

Carvana's entirely online car-buying platform aims to take the place of visits to the dealership. Customers can browse, secure financing, trade their car in and buy a car in 10 minutes, the company advertises. The cars are returnable within seven days.

Kansas City would be the ninth site for a Carvana vending machine. The company also has locations in Raleigh, N.C., Jacksonville, Fla., Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Dallas and Nashville.

This story was originally published April 6, 2018 at 4:18 PM with the headline "'Coin-operated vending machine' dispensing used cars proposed for KC."