Austria’s Automotive E-commerce Market: Key Players and Performance Outlook 2025

The automotive sector in Austria is undergoing a significant digital transformation, with e-commerce channels increasingly influencing and facilitating vehicle purchases, parts acquisition, and service bookings. This analysis provides a data-driven overview of the Austrian automotive e-commerce landscape, detailing market size, growth trajectories, and the operational presence of key online entities as projected for 2025.

Austria’s Automotive E-commerce Market: Size and Growth Projections

The Austrian automotive e-commerce market demonstrates consistent expansion, driven by increasing digital literacy among consumers and enhanced online infrastructure from retailers and manufacturers. This growth encompasses new vehicle online sales, used vehicle transactions facilitated through digital platforms, and the rapidly expanding segment of online parts and accessories sales. Market projections for 2025 indicate continued robust growth, outpacing the general retail e-commerce average in several categories.

QuantisIntel’s market analysis indicates the following trajectory for the Austrian automotive e-commerce sector:

Figures represent transaction values where the primary sales channel or a significant portion of the transaction (e.g., payment, contracting) occurs online. “Online Used Vehicle Transaction Value (facilitated)” refers to the value of used vehicles sold where the listing and initial negotiation predominantly took place via online platforms, irrespective of final physical handover.

The total automotive e-commerce market value for Austria is projected to reach €2.30 Billion by 2025, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 17.1% from 2023 to 2025. This growth is primarily fueled by the strong performance of the online parts and accessories segment, which is expected to approach €1 Billion in revenue, and the increasing digitalization of used vehicle transactions. While new vehicle online sales penetration remains comparatively lower, its growth rate is notable, indicating a nascent but accelerating shift in consumer purchasing patterns for new automobiles.

Dominant Online Platforms and Player Landscape

The Austrian automotive e-commerce landscape is characterized by a mix of established classifieds portals, OEM direct sales channels, and specialized online retailers. These entities collectively form the ecosystem where most online automotive transactions and interactions occur.

Classifieds and Marketplace Platforms:

• willhaben.at: As Austria’s largest classifieds portal, willhaben.at holds a dominant position in the used vehicle market. Its automotive section consistently records high traffic volumes, with an average of over 2.5 million unique users accessing the motor vehicle category monthly. Approximately 80% of all used vehicle listings in Austria are found on willhaben.at, making it the primary digital interface for private and commercial used car transactions. The platform facilitated an estimated 650,000 used vehicle sales in 2023, with projections for 2025 indicating a further increase to over 720,000.
• AutoScout24.at: A significant player in the broader DACH region, AutoScout24.at maintains a strong presence in Austria, particularly for used vehicles and, to a lesser extent, new cars from dealerships. It serves as a crucial competitor to willhaben.at, offering a specialized automotive-only platform that appeals to dedicated car buyers. The platform reported over 1.2 million unique visitors per month in Austria for its automotive section in Q4 2023, with a listings volume exceeding 150,000 vehicles.
• Mobile.de: While primarily a German platform, mobile.de extends its reach into Austria due to geographical proximity and cross-border commerce. Austrian dealers and private sellers frequently list vehicles on mobile.de to access a wider German-speaking audience. Data from 2023 shows that approximately 15% of Austrian professional dealers utilize mobile.de for cross-border listings, contributing to an estimated 5-7% of the total Austrian used vehicle online transaction value.

OEM Direct Sales Channels: Automotive manufacturers are progressively investing in their direct-to-consumer (D2C) online sales channels. Brands such as Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla have implemented sophisticated online configurators and, in some cases, full online purchase options for new vehicles in Austria.

• Tesla: Tesla operates a fully integrated online sales model, where vehicle configuration, order placement, and payment are executed digitally. This model accounted for nearly 100% of its new vehicle sales in Austria, which totaled approximately 5,000 units in 2023.
• Traditional OEMs: Other manufacturers are expanding their digital footprint. For instance, Volkswagen Austria reported that its online configurator was accessed over 1.5 million times in 2023, with approximately 12% of new vehicle inquiries originating directly from the online portal. While full online transactions for traditional brands remain a smaller percentage (as indicated by the 4.5% new vehicle online sales penetration projected for 2025), the online channel serves as a critical lead generation and information source.

Specialized Parts & Accessories Retailers: This segment is highly fragmented but shows significant online growth.

• Cross-border players: German retailers like kfzteile24.de and autodoc.de regularly serve the Austrian market, benefiting from efficient logistics and broad product catalogs. These platforms collectively capture an estimated 25-30% of the online parts and accessories market share in Austria.
• Local online stores: Austrian automotive parts suppliers and franchise dealerships are also developing their e-commerce capabilities. Examples include online shops from major automotive groups and independent specialists. Their collective market share is growing, particularly for specialized or urgent parts.

Evolving Consumer Behavior and Digital Adoption

Consumer behavior in the Austrian automotive market is shifting towards greater reliance on digital channels for various stages of the purchasing journey. This evolution is impacting both vehicle sales and the acquisition of parts and services.

Research Online, Purchase Offline (ROPO) Effect: The ROPO effect remains highly prevalent in Austria for vehicle purchases. For new cars, approximately 75% of buyers conduct extensive online research (comparing models, prices, features, reading reviews) before visiting a physical dealership. For used cars, this figure is even higher, estimated at 85%. While the final transaction often occurs offline, the online channel is indispensable for initial information gathering and decision-making.

Online Configurators and Virtual Showrooms: The utilization of online configurators for new vehicles has become standard. Data from leading OEMs indicates that over 60% of potential new car buyers in Austria interact with an online configurator at least once during their purchase process. Virtual showrooms and 360-degree views of vehicles are also gaining traction, with a 20% increase in engagement observed between 2022 and 2023.

Shift in Parts & Accessories Purchasing: The online channel is the preferred method for purchasing automotive parts and accessories for a growing segment of Austrian consumers and workshops. Convenience, competitive pricing, and wider product availability are key drivers.

• DIY Mechanics: Approximately 40% of private individuals who perform their own vehicle maintenance source parts online.
• Professional Workshops: While traditionally relying on local distributors, an increasing number of independent workshops (estimated at 15-20%) procure specialized or hard-to-find parts through online platforms to manage inventory costs and expand sourcing options.
• Mobile Commerce: Mobile devices account for over 55% of traffic to automotive e-commerce sites in Austria, indicating a strong preference for on-the-go research and purchasing. Conversion rates on mobile devices are steadily increasing, though desktop still holds a slight edge for complex transactions like vehicle purchases.

Regulatory Framework and Market Structure

The regulatory environment for automotive e-commerce in Austria is primarily governed by general e-commerce and consumer protection laws, rather than specific automotive e-commerce legislation. Austria, as an EU member state, adheres to EU directives that establish a common legal framework for digital commerce.

Consumer Protection and Distance Selling:

• Widerrufsrecht (Right of Withdrawal): Consumers in Austria benefit from a 14-day right of withdrawal for contracts concluded remotely (e.g., online purchases), as stipulated by the Fern- und Auswärtsgeschäfte-Gesetz (FAGG), which implements the EU Consumer Rights Directive. This applies to vehicles purchased entirely online, offering a crucial layer of consumer confidence.
• Information Requirements: Online sellers are mandated to provide clear and comprehensive information regarding the product, pricing (including Mehrwertsteuer or MwSt. and other charges), delivery terms, and the seller’s identity (Impressum, Handelsregister details). Non-compliance can lead to penalties.

Distribution Models and Competition Law:

• Block Exemption Regulation (BER): The EU’s Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation (EU) 2023/822, which came into effect in June 2023, continues to shape the competitive landscape for vehicle distribution and aftersales. While it grants vehicle manufacturers more flexibility in their distribution systems, including direct sales, it also aims to prevent anti-competitive practices. This regulation influences how OEMs can structure their online sales channels and interact with their authorized dealer networks.
• Market Concentration: The Austrian automotive retail market remains relatively concentrated, with a few large dealer groups dominating physical sales. The rise of e-commerce introduces new competitive dynamics, potentially allowing smaller, specialized online retailers or direct OEM channels to gain market share without extensive physical infrastructure. However, the existing dealer network often plays a crucial role in the fulfillment and service aspects of online vehicle sales.

The legal framework supports the expansion of automotive e-commerce by providing consumer safeguards and promoting fair competition, albeit within the context of an industry still heavily reliant on traditional physical touchpoints for vehicle delivery and service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which online platforms dominate the used vehicle market in Austria? willhaben.at is the leading platform, featuring approximately 80% of all used vehicle listings and facilitating an estimated 650,000 sales in 2023. AutoScout24.at is also a significant player, recording over 1.2 million unique visitors per month to its automotive section in Q4 2023. Mobile.de extends its reach into Austria, with about 15% of Austrian professional dealers utilizing it for cross-border listings.

What is the projected market value for automotive e-commerce in Austria by 2025? The total automotive e-commerce market value for Austria is projected to reach €2.30 Billion by 2025. This reflects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 17.1% from 2023 to 2025. The online parts and accessories segment is expected to reach €970 Million, while online-facilitated used vehicle transactions are projected at €1.33 Billion.

Which automotive manufacturers are prominent in direct online sales channels in Austria? Tesla operates a fully integrated online sales model, accounting for nearly 100% of its new vehicle sales in Austria, which totaled approximately 5,000 units in 2023. Traditional OEMs like Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are also expanding their digital footprint, with Volkswagen Austria’s online configurator accessed over 1.5 million times in 2023.

How significant is online research for car purchases in Austria? Online research is highly significant, with the “Research Online, Purchase Offline” (ROPO) effect being prevalent. Approximately 75% of new car buyers and 85% of used car buyers conduct extensive online research before engaging with physical dealerships. Online configurators are utilized by over 60% of potential new car buyers during their purchase process.

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The Austrian automotive e-commerce market is set for substantial growth, projected to reach €2.30 Billion by 2025 with a CAGR of 17.1% from 2023. This expansion is driven by strong performance in online parts and accessories, increasing digitalization of used vehicle transactions led by platforms like willhaben.at, and the nascent but accelerating adoption of direct online sales by OEMs such as Tesla. The prevalence of online research underscores the digital channel’s critical role in the Austrian automotive purchasing journey.