Online used car retailer Carvana today opened its second fully automated vehicle “vending machine,” this time in Houston.
Customers in the region will have the option of picking up the vehicle they bought through Carvana at the eight-story, glass-structured building, which stands three stories taller than the original in Nashville.
Like at the Nashville building, drivers who opt to pick up their vehicle at the Houston vending machine will receive an oversized coin to drop into a slot, at which point the car is transferred from the glass tower into a delivery bay for the customer to pick up. The tower holds 30 vehicles and is attached to four delivery bays.
“People responded so positively to our Nashville Vending Machine that we knew we had to bring the experience to additional markets,” CEO Ernie Garcia said in a statement.
In an interview, Garcia did not disclose volume targets for the Houston location, nor did he reveal sales figures for the Nashville building, which opened in 2015.
Carvana, based in Phoenix, was founded in 2013 and operates in 20 markets. Other than its vending machine options, a customer can have their vehicle delivered to his or her home.
The company said it will subsidize customers’ airfare up to $200 and arrange transportation from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to the vending machine for those who live more than 100 miles outside of the Houston area.
The opening follows a $160 million funding round that the startup received in August.
