For the automobile industry, March 2021 has been off to a remarkable start, with Swedish giant Volvo announcing plans to shift production to electric cars only by 2030. This news comes as the latest reminder to the industry that fossil fuels are on the way out and car manufacturers have to really start paying attention to alternative, more sustainable options for their products and businesses. But it’s not just the cars themselves that are changing—it’s also how they’re bought and maintained later on.

With the coronavirus pandemic, most aspects of our daily lives were driven online almost overnight, and buying a car was no exception. Dealerships and used car shops alike scrambled to find solutions to new problems like remote identity verifications, online documentation, and of course, giving the customer a feel of their new car without a test drive or even a look at the physical product itself. A year later, it seems the efforts have been fruitful, as one recent customer survey suggests for the first time ever, over 60% of potential buyers say they would consider buying a car fully online, without ever seeing it before in person.

This kind of data has obviously reached large manufacturers too, with Volvo now becoming the first to announce a move not just towards electric cars, but to fully online sales. So far, only the electric vehicle trailblazer Tesla has chosen exclusively online sales, but their success has certainly created a precedent more companies might soon be keen to follow. It seems that electric vehicles and online sales are here to stay as clear signposts for the future of the automobile industry.

When it comes to later servicing, some aspects must of course stay offline—a technical inspection or repair works without laying a hand on the car will probably stay in the science fiction realm for a while—but online cloudware solutions can still offer massive benefits to workshops, too. Managing sales, billings, rotas, and more can all be done effectively and from a distance with the help of a dedicated system like the Trumpauto software. Even more, a client accustomed to online solutions—perhaps one who’s recently bought a new Volvo online—will be happy to see their maintenance team keeping up with the times and needs for quick web-based communications.

That is precisely why Trumpauto has developed a cloudware system specifically for automobile workshops that can streamline communications within the business, and between clients and employees. With our software, workshops will be ready to keep up with the rapidly changing nature of the industry and accommodate new kinds of cars, operations, and people.

If you want to bring innovation to your workshop, let us know at info@trumpauto.eu or by signing up for a free trial on our website today!