How to Build an Automated Car Inventory Bot on WhatsApp & Telegram with Encar API & n8n

The Modern Auto Dealership Chatbot Revolution

Automotive brokers, vehicle exporters, and independent dealerships worldwide are shifting their customer sales pipelines from static web portals to messaging apps: **WhatsApp Business**, **Telegram**, **Viber**, and **Instagram Direct**.

Prospective vehicle buyers in Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa expect instant responses when asking: > *"Can you find me a 2023 BMW 5 Series under 20k miles with no accidents?"*

If your sales desk takes 4 hours to search portal catalogs manually and calculate currency conversions, the buyer has already contacted another dealer.

With the **Rinevo API** and **n8n** (an open-source workflow automation engine), you can build an automated, 24/7 AI-assisted inventory bot that queries over 510,000 live certified Korean and international vehicles, applies your custom profit margin markup, and replies with rich multi-photo vehicle cards in under 2 seconds.

1. High-Level Architecture Overview

1. **Inbound Chat Webhook:** Customer sends a message on WhatsApp or Telegram (e.g. `/search BMW 5-Series`).
2. **n8n Webhook Trigger:** Catches the incoming payload, extracts the query tokens, and formats the search parameters.
3. **Rinevo Gateway Query:** HTTP Request node queries `https://api.rinevoapi.com/api/v2/vehicles` with authentication header `X-API-Key`.
4. **Dealer Margin Shield:** Server-side calculation applies a +8% or fixed +$1,500 markup before any numbers reach the buyer.
5. **Outbound Media Dispatch:**
6. - **Telegram:** Sends an `sendMediaGroup` payload with up to 10 high-resolution photos and bold HTML specifications.
7. - **WhatsApp:** Sends an interactive template card with quick-reply buttons (`💬 Speak to Sales`, `📄 68-Pt Condition Sheet`).

2. Setting Up the n8n HTTP Request Node

In n8n, create an **HTTP Request** node configured as follows:

{
  "parameters": {
    "method": "GET",
    "url": "https://api.rinevoapi.com/api/v2/vehicles",
    "sendHeaders": true,
    "headerParameters": {
      "parameters": [
        {
          "name": "X-API-Key",
          "value": "rin_live_your_api_key_here"
        },
        {
          "name": "Accept",
          "value": "application/json"
        }
      ]
    },
    "sendQuery": true,
    "queryParameters": {
      "parameters": [
        {
          "name": "brand",
          "value": "={{ $json.body.message.text.split(' ')[1] || 'BMW' }}"
        },
        {
          "name": "source",
          "value": "encar"
        },
        {
          "name": "limit",
          "value": "3"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

3. Formatting Multi-Photo Telegram Media Groups

Telegram bots allow sending up to 10 photos in a single grouped album using the `sendMediaGroup` method. Here is the JavaScript Function node in n8n to transform the Rinevo vehicle payload:

const markupPercent = 0.08; // 8% Dealer Margin const basePrice = Number(car.price_usd || 35000); const retailPrice = Math.round(basePrice * (1 + markupPercent));

const caption = [ `🚗 <b>${car.year} ${car.brand} ${car.model}</b>`, `💰 Price: <b>$${retailPrice.toLocaleString()} USD</b> (FOB Incheon)`, `🛣️ Mileage: <b>${car.mileage_km.toLocaleString()} km</b> (${Math.round(car.mileage_km * 0.621371).toLocaleString()} mi)`, `🛡️ Inspection: <b>Encar Certified Grade A+ (100% Accident Free)</b>`, `🔑 Plate: <code>${car.license_plate || 'Verified'}</code> | ID: <code>${car.id}</code>`, `📋 Claims: <b>₩0 Insurance Damage Recorded</b>`, `\n🔗 <a href="https://rinevoapi.com/v/${car.id}">View Up to 40 HD Photos & 360 Diagnostic Sheet</a>` ].join('\n');

const media = car.images.slice(0, 5).map((imgUrl, index) => ({ type: 'photo', media: imgUrl, caption: index === 0 ? caption : undefined, parse_mode: 'HTML' }));

return [{ json: { chat_id: $json.chatId, media } }]; ```

4. WhatsApp Cloud API Interactive Buttons

For WhatsApp Business Cloud API, send an interactive button template with quick actions:

{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "recipient_type": "individual",
  "to": "{{ $json.from }}",
  "type": "interactive",
  "interactive": {
    "type": "button",
    "header": {
      "type": "image",
      "image": {
        "link": "https://api.rinevoapi.com/api/scraper/image-proxy?url=" + car.images[0]
      }
    },
    "body": {
      "text": "🚗 *2025 BMW 5-Series 520i M Sport*\n💰 Price: *$38,500 USD* (Sample Wholesale + Margin)\n🛣️ Mileage: *8,108 km* (~5,038 mi)\n🛡️ Encar Certified 100% Clean"
    },
    "action": {
      "buttons": [
        {
          "type": "reply",
          "reply": {
            "id": "btn_chat_rep",
            "title": "💬 Chat with Rep"
          }
        },
        {
          "type": "reply",
          "reply": {
            "id": "btn_diagnostic_sheet",
            "title": "📄 View Diagnostic"
          }
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

5. Want Us to Build & Host It For You?

Don't want to manage n8n servers, webhook webhooks, or API rate limits? Rinevo offers a **Turnkey Custom Bot Agency Service**: - Custom-built and branded for your dealership logo and WhatsApp Business account. - 48 to 72 hours delivery window. - Fully managed 24/7 cloud hosting with automated uptime monitoring. - Visit [https://rinevoapi.com/automotive-bots](https://rinevoapi.com/automotive-bots) or contact us directly on Telegram at [@rinevo_support](https://t.me/rinevo_support).