6:43 am, April 1, 2026
Car buyers are keeping hold of their vehicles for longer due to cost-of-living concerns and confusion over EVs, an delaying their next purchase.
That’s according to Regit chief executive Chris Green. Speaking on the latest Car Dealer Podcast, Green gave his views on the state of the new and used car markets, and in particular a general reluctance from car buyers to ditch their old cars for new EVs.
‘I think one of the other things as well which people don’t realize is cars are better than they’ve ever been in some regards and people are hanging on to their cars longer,’ he said to podcast hosts Rebecca Chaplin and James Baggott.
He added: ‘They’re doing less miles due to working from home. The technology is good. The reliability is good. You know, you can buy a warranty for a used car quite easy and quite freely if you want to hang onto it.’
The full podcast can be listened to on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, or can be watched on YouTube by clicking the video window at the top of this story.
Green said uncertainty around electrification is also encouraging buyers to sit tight rather than commit to a new purchase.
‘They don’t know about the transition to electric, whether it works for them, whether it’s range anxiety, whether it’s cost barrier. So they just might just hang on to that car a little bit longer.’
He said that hesitation is being compounded by broader cost-of-living pressures and concern over the wider economy.
‘It’s expensive to live in the UK currently, whether it’s food, whether it’s energy – you’re probably not going to go and change your car. You’re probably not going to buy another car. You’re certainly not going to move to electric. You’re just going to hang on that bit longer and just wait for for the stability that you’re looking for.’
Green also argued that buyers are taking much longer to make decisions than many in the industry assume.
‘Despite the assumption, I don’t people are buying cars within a few weeks – I think they take a lot longer to research. I think you need to nurture people down the funnel. I think there’s a lot of choice now – there a lot of decisions to be made and it takes a lot longer.’
A major barrier remains the practicality of EV ownership for those without home charging. Green said this is one of the biggest issues manufacturers are wrestling with.
‘The biggest problems manufacturers have got is that they cannot sell an electric vehicle to somebody who doesn’t have a driveway,’ he said. ‘I’ve heard Lisa Branklin from Ford say that this is their number one issue.’
He added: ‘If the customers does not have a driveway, the manufacturer cannot sell an electric car to them. So I think when you look at that, and we’ve probably got something like 45% of homeowners in the UK without without a drive, that’s a massive problem for car manufacturers and dealers.’
EV-owning Green also described the public charging network as inconsistent and frustrating, particularly away from newer ultra-rapid hubs.
‘I feel there’s a huge disconnect between the quality of charging across the country and I think that’s one of the biggest challenges.’
Add all of this together and Green does not believe the government’s 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will survive unchanged.
‘I think it’ll get extended,’ he said, adding that a weaker economic backdrop would make the transition even harder to deliver.
Green said the ZEV mandate also needs revisiting, with ministers yet to provide the clarity the sector wants.
He also suggested the market’s current weakness is beginning to show up in lead generation, with dealers becoming less willing to pay for leads when stock is tighter and consumers are more cautious.
‘It has dropped off,’ he said, and went on to explain how Regit, as a ‘digital garage’ for consumers, has moved away from being overly reliant on dealer leads, and instead fouling on first-party data, manufacturer campaigns, and aftersales.
You can listen to the podcast on all major streaming platforms, or watch via our YouTube channel.
