A new Charlotte startup will give potential auto buyers a way to test drive a car without the hassle of a face-to-face sales person.
Stacauto is a self-serve test driving platform that partners with local auto groups to give customers the freedom to choose a vehicle, date and time, then go on the test drive without interacting with the dealership.
Founder Jordan Huibers said when the customer arrives at the dealership they'll find the selected vehicle sanitized and waiting in a designated green Stacauto parking spot, along with a lockbox containing the key. Once the test drive is over, the key goes back in the lockbox, and the customer is on their way.
"We're creating that experience where it's no contact and zero pressure so everyone can be comfortable during their test drive," he said.
Huibers said plans for the platform began last fall, long before Covid hit, though the pandemic did push dealerships to partner with Stacauto very quickly. In July, Stacauto launched with Gerry Wood Auto Group in Salisbury. Next week, the platform breaks into the Metro Charlotte market as it launches with Williams Auto Group, which owns Williams Subaru on Independence Boulevard and Williams Buick/GMC on South Boulevard.
"As of next week, we will represent nine brands across five locations in the greater Charlotte region," Huibers said. "In order to provide customers the best experience, we have to service the market fully and represent as many brands as possible."
He said the remainder of 2020 will be spent working to onboard additional Charlotte-based dealerships. Moving into next year, Huibers said Stacauto will begin exploring funding options.
"We've been able to bootstrap the business so far, which has been enough to fund through the expansion in Charlotte," he said. "Going into 2021, we'll be looking to explore our first funding round to help build out a more robust version of the platform."
