Industry experts have suggested that waiting times for electric cars are set to tumble as drivers pause purchases in the face of higher energy costs and cost of living worries. The first sign of this is from Tesla, which has switched from selling every car it could import to having hundreds Model 3s and Model Ys with delivery mileage in stock for instant delivery, some with £7,460 discounts.

The company’s website lists upwards of 100 cars, all said to be ‘Ex Demo’ examples with around 50 miles or less registered on the odometer, suggesting they have been registered but not driven. This type of ‘pre-registering’ used to be common in the industry as car makers sought to meet targets and keep factories moving but has not been seen at any scale since the pandemic hit supplies.

To incentivise sales of these cars, Tesla is offering discounts – or ‘Showroom Adjustments’ worth thousands off the list price plus 6,000 miles of free Supercharging to anyone who takes delivery of a car before the end of 2022. This charging benefit is worth around £950 alone at the network's average price.

The value of used Teslas has also taken a hit, according to Derren Martin, director of valuations at the independent used car industry watchers Cap HPI. In an interview with Car Dealer Magazine he said: “Tesla Model 3s have dropped nearly seven per cent or £2,275 and Model S nearly six per cent or £2,767 compared to last month.”​

Martin said the Model 3 had actually fallen 16 per cent in the last three months – that equates to around £7,000.

He added: ‘There are some big chunks coming out of some electric vehicles, it’s not just Tesla, but it does seem to be one brand where there’s a lot of volume coming back in to the market and they are quite expensive.”

Dealers from other brands have also started to incentivise electric models which are in stock, including Nissan and MG.

James Baggott, editor-in-chief of Car Dealer Magazine, said: “For months we have seen demand outstrip supply in the market generally, but especially for electric cars. Some manufacturers still have a healthy ‘buffer’ of orders but there are murmurings that the queues for new cars are shrinking rapidly and buyers are starting to see the incentives coming back. This seems to be especially true for brands with Chinese production bases, where supply seems to be less of an issue.”

Tesla's website offers 100+ cars with delivery mileage for instant delivery