Pandemic marks a before and after
As with other sectors, the trend since COVID caused many sales to plummet. It seems that since then, the customer had changed in consumption, habits and customs. While the consumption of streaming platforms increased considerably due to mobility restrictions, the automotive sector was in the midst of a tremendous crisis with a drop in sales of more than 30%.
Traditional ways of reaching the customer to purchase a vehicle had to transform and evolve. Flexibility, emphasis on health and safety and sustainability were some of these changes but we are going to focus on another, namely the much more aggressive approach to online sales.
A Phygital vehicle, a real and digitally satisfied customer at the same time.
Although several brands had entered the digital market through various actions such as launching NFT’s or agreements with blockchain projects, CUPRA was one of the few that launched into the metaverse through Metahype. To do so, it designed the model you see above. And while that is the real model, here I show you the digital one:
But what attraction can we find in this concept for sales?
Well, something as simple as convenience, as it allows us to use a gamified and interactive way:
- Explore cars virtually: Customers can view cars from any angle and in any condition. This can be especially useful for customers who are unable to visit a dealership in person.
2. Customise cars: Customers can customise cars virtually, including colour, equipment and features.
3. Test drive cars virtually: They can also test drive cars virtually, allowing them to experience an online driving experience that allows them to recreate an idea of a future purchase.and last but not least The need to improve the customer experience as car companies are looking for ways to improve at all touch points. The metaverse offers a new way to interact with customers, both before and after the purchase of a car.
But the phygital car is not just a sales strategy. It also allows us to save production costs, reduce prototyping time and make significant changes or developments also in a short period of time.
BMW Group and its digital twins
It was one of the most talked about cases. NVIDIA had partnered with the BMW Group to deliver a futuristic, hyper-connected factory from a digital twin based at their Debrecen plant in Hungary, allowing them to optimise all processes and systems virtually.
All this happened thanks to the NVIDIA Omniverse platform and this is how Industry 4.0 resonated in the automotive sector. Thanks to this, they also announced that by 2025, much more technological vehicle models called “Neue Klasse” would arrive, with batteries without modules, more efficient engines, much more aerodynamic cars…
We are talking about an investment of more than 2 billion euros by 2025, and we are serious about it.
Above you can see all the improvements that the construction will allow, because we could go on and on for weeks or even months talking about the brand.
I want to show you something “more fun”.
AUDI AG relies on holoride
I have to admit that holoride would have been difficult to find if it weren’t for my exhaustive work on the MultiversX blockchain, formerly known as Elrond.
Within the MultiversX ecosystem, the Holoride project was born, an immersive experience that is lived from inside the vehicle. AUDI AG was the first to bet on it, followed by Porsche AG, but for the time being, it’s all in-house π . Holoride tracks the movements of your vehicle, providing you with virtual experiences by assimilating the terrain around you.
Two packs are available for this purpose:
And we also have other products such as :
Safety Strap : Safety strap that attaches the headset to the seatbelt while holoride.
Holoride Retrofit : Using a combination of real-time vehicle data and a VR environment, you can now enjoy motion-synchronised VR experiences in any car with the new holoride retrofit.
HTC VIVE : These immersive VR glasses are perfect for in-car use. With its compact and lightweight design, you can easily transport the 189g lightweight goggles and they don’t take up too much space in the car.
8BitDo Pro 2 : This gamepad offers you endless possibilities when it comes to playing holistic games. It is a modern controller that respects the classics.
Of course I don’t want to leave you without watching their latest video to show you how it all works:
And although I would love to continue to show you all the latest news from the automotive market, that will be in the next editions.
Thank you very much!
