7:40 am, October 22, 2022
Drivers wanting to switch to an electric car are waiting up to 18 months to get their new cars, new research has found.
Electrifying.com discovered that on average buyers are waiting for eight months, or 35 weeks, to get their EVs in October, but some models are delayed by up to 18 months.
Delays are getting longer, too, as in August the average wait was 34 weeks.
The electric car website said the increase in delays was due to the ongoing shortage of components and semiconductor chips, with carmakers prioritising production of premium cars over more affordable ones.
The cars facing the most dramatic increases include big sellers from Kia and Vauxhall.
The Kia Niro EV now has an average wait of nine months for delivery, up from 4.5 months in August.
Both the Vauxhall Corsa-e and Mokka-e waiting times have risen dramatically too, from an average of 3.5 months in August to 10 months in October.
It’s a mixed picture, however, with buyers of the MG5 being expected to wait one month for delivery, while customers wanting electric Audis and the Porsche Taycan are facing delays of up to 18 months.
Those wanting a BMW i4 50 aren’t in luck as no build date is being offered by dealers, while customers wanting a Tesla Model S or X will be waiting for between 18 and 24 months for their new cars.
Electrifying.com also found that dealers are offering significant premiums on cars if buyers want to jump the queue.
It discovered several dealers were advertising Kia EV6s with mark-ups of £7,000 or more.
Founder and CEO of Electrifying.com Ginny Buckley said: ‘This is a difficult time for both consumers and the car industry, and despite the fact that over one million cars with a plug have now been sold in the UK the problem of supply chain issues and chip shortages is not going away any time soon.
‘Some dealers are telling us that stock cars might be available if you can be flexible with your tech, trim and colour, but bargains are a thing of the past, with many cars now being sold for above their list price.’
She added: ‘Despite the waiting times for many popular family cars, including the Kia Niro EV, being unreasonably high drivers may be able to get behind the wheel before Christmas if they act quickly on certain MG models or even the popular Tesla Model Y.’
