Many people are persuaded to buy a car after test driving it off the lot. But what about driving a virtual vehicle—with a pair of VR goggles on? That’s exactly what many car companies are hoping to offer drivers a chance to virtually check out current models, those that are upcoming, or even futuristic concepts to create brand hype.
Virtual reality might be based in illusions, but unlike with things like your car insurance policy
, this kind of deception could make car shopping a little easier. How can car dealers use VR to create a showroom experience?
As Thomas
highlights, virtual reality allows customers to experience a car dealer’s showroom without ever leaving their home, let alone their couch. And that’s exactly what’s so appealing to automakers—the chance to create an even more immersive method of advertising. But there’s more than one way to create a VR-based showroom. Car dealers, and the brands that own them, are experimenting with app-based VR. While this method is less immersive than others, it allows a potential customer (or even a fan) to pick up their cell phone and get a good look at a 3-D model of their favorite vehicle, all with the touch of their fingertips.
Are there other more immersive forms of VR that car dealers can use?
There are—one of them being the ability to re-create the layout, lighting, and feel of an authentic car dealer’s showroom, without the need to talk with a car salesman. Currently, some brands allow you to use your phone’s screen to explore a car dealer’s showroom, using your camera to re-create the visual layout you’d expect. And with a pair of VR goggles, the experience gets crazier.
Currently, the most sophisticated virtual ads use laser pointers that are paired with VR goggles to allow customers to navigate their way through a virtual car dealer’s showroom. The laser tags onto the object or location that the customer wishes to see (with the goggles on, of course) and directs the customer toward whatever they’ve selected. While it’s not perfect, it sure beats regular commercials.
MORE: The WayRay Holograktor Concept Car: Is Augmented Reality the Future of Car Innovations?
What are the benefits of car dealers using virtual showrooms?
Besides the flat-out convenience of not having to leave home to shop for a car, the continued spread of coronavirus and rising prices at the pump will likely make virtual reality a popular form of shopping in the future. Many car buyers are also taking their business online, where companies like Tesla are mainly operating through direct and online sales tactics, anyway. In fact, a survey cited in Forbes
noted that 64% of car buyers would prefer to complete the entire car-buying process online, anyway. MORE: The MG Maze Is a Gamer's Dream
You don’t need VR to see that Jerry can save money on your car insurance
Even though our app doesn’t use virtual reality goggles to save you money (yet), it takes only minutes to download and start saving on your auto policy premiums. Discover why so many people have made the easy, simple switch to Jerry
. We take the hassle out of insurance shopping. 
4.7
