The waiting times for new electric vehicles have dipped for a sixth consecutive month, with a massive 41 percent decrease since the peak in October 2022. On average, motorists will have to wait five months – or 21 weeks – to get behind the wheel of a new zero emission vehicle.
Since the last bi-monthly market update, average waiting times have dropped 20 percent from 24 weeks in February.
The data, from Electrifying.com, suggests this is down to supply chain issues easing, with semiconductors becoming more readily available and factories returning to normal after the pandemic.
However, experts fear that the lack of affordable cars on the market is leading to potential customers putting their interest on hold until cheaper options are available.
The latest research from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed that fleets and business vehicles boosted EV numbers last month.
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Both are heavily incentivised to switch to electric, through net zero targets and generous car tax costs, and were responsible for more than half of the cars registered in April.
Major brands like Volkswagen, Mercedes and Cupra reported that they had plenty of EV stock available, with drivers able to drive off the forecourt within a matter of weeks.
Popular models including the Mercedes EQA, EQE and EQS can be picked up immediately.
Motorists may be enticed to purchase a Tesla following the brand’s recent price cuts and plentiful stock, with the Model 3 and Model Y having average wait times of between one and two months.
Some even have the offer of instant delivery, while also coming with generous packages of bonuses for no extra cost.
Ginny Buckley, founder and CEO of Electrifying.com, said: “Drivers wanting to get the keys to a new car as soon as possible are in luck, with waiting times just a fraction of what they were even six months ago.
“Demand for electric cars has increased – we can see this in the most recent registration statistics, but I fear that private buyers are being left behind.”
The BMW iX3, Kia Soul and DS3 e-Tense also offer shorter waiting times, often as little as eight weeks.
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Motorists looking to purchase a new Hyundai Kona will be hard-pressed with the average waiting time being between 10 and 12 months – the longest of any major manufacturer.
The Audi e-tron GT, MG ZS EV and Skoda Enyaq will also frustrate drivers with waits of 10 and 11 months required.
Ginny Buckley added: “If we’re to bring everyone along on the journey, car makers now need to make sure that more affordable models are launched to help drive uptake amongst mainstream consumers.
“This, together with serious improvements being made to our public charging infrastructure, will give drivers the confidence they need to make the switch.
“When drivers can be certain that public chargers are reliable, plentiful and fairly priced, they will feel comfortable making the switch to less expensive electric cars with smaller batteries.”
Zap-Map data shows that the rollout of electric chargers is increasing month-on-month, with 42,566 EV charging points across the UK at the end of April.
This is a 37 percent increase since last April and shows the momentum of installing new chargers across the country.
The rollout will also benefit from the recent £6billion investment from ChargeUK, with the organisation aiming to double the number of chargers before the end of the year.
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