Autohero

Autohero operates a consumer-facing online platform for buying used cars in Germany. Vehicles listed on the site can be searched by brand, model, version or keyword, and are also browsable by body type (SUV, estate, saloon, van/minibus, small car, convertible, coupé/sports, pickup), by popular brands including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Skoda, Ford, Opel, Hyundai, Toyota and Seat, and by total price or monthly budget bands. Popular model landing pages cover cars such as the Audi A1/A3/A4/A6, BMW 1 and 3 Series, Fiat 500, Ford Focus and Kuga, Hyundai i30/Kona/Tucson, Opel Corsa and Mokka, Peugeot 208, Seat Ateca and Leon, Skoda Karoq/Kodiaq/Octavia, VW Tiguan, Caddy, Golf 7 and Polo.

The purchase proposition combines a 21-day money-back guarantee, 12 months of included warranty with paid upgrade options, flexible financing, and vehicles that Autohero states are inspected and reconditioned in-house with a detailed condition report. Customers can choose home delivery or collection, with status updates during the handover process. The site additionally offers a car valuation tool for sellers, a financing budget calculator that produces an offer without affecting the customer's SCHUFA credit record, editorial advice content (for example on seven-seaters, city cars, automatic versus manual transmission, diesel versus petrol and cars for new drivers), and a mobile app. Ralf Schmitz is presented as an Autohero brand ambassador.

Business model

Autohero sells used cars directly to consumers through its website and app, adding attached services around each transaction: financing arranged through the platform, an included 12-month warranty with paid extension options, vehicle inspection and reconditioning, and delivery or pickup. It also solicits vehicles from consumers via an online valuation tool.

Revenue derives from the sale of used vehicles to consumers, with additional monetisation from financing and from warranty upgrades beyond the included 12-month coverage.