Demand for electric cars may be surging, but buyers hoping to make the switch are being forced to make a U-turn as factories face months of delays, pushing waiting times for new vehicles to unprecedented levels.
As a result, choosing which electric car you want can be tricky, which is why we will do all we can at Electrifying.com to help you select the right car to meet your needs. From new and used car reviews to our handy beginner’s guide, this article will help you decide which vehicle you should purchase in the hectic current market.
Why do electric cars have such long waiting lists?
Good question. Electric car owners are facing longer than normal waiting times for two main reasons: an order backlog that predates the Coronavirus pandemic, and the on-going conflict in Ukraine.
The pandemic saw a massive surge in orders for laptops and printers as the global population started working remotely. This wiped out existing stocks and meant that factories around the world were asked to produce more. Except they couldn't because many were forced to close because of the pandemic.
How long will I have to wait?
Drivers wanting to make the switch to electric will be waiting for an average of eight months before they can get the keys to their new car, our research has found.
Customers looking to place an order now will have to wait an average of 35 weeks for their new car; a slight increase of 3.1% (from 34 weeks) since the same time in August.
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.
At the more luxurious end of the market, consumers could be waiting for up to 18 months for a Porsche Taycan.
Buyers looking to skip the queue can expect to pay for the privilege, with dealers adding substantial premiums to the manufacturer’s list price for cars which are in stock. For example, we found several dealers advertising Kia EV6s with mark ups of £7,000 or more.
However, popular models including the Tesla Model Y and the Renault Zoe are enjoying comparatively low waiting times of four to 12 weeks and one to two months respectively, meaning customers could have their new car in time for Christmas.
Drivers who baulk at the thought of waiting more than seven months for a BMW i4 might want to consider an iX3 instead, as this model is available with an eight week delivery time.
Nissan’s Leaf seems to have evergreen demand too, with the waiting time extending from five months in August to nine months now. However the company’s new Ariya model has a comparatively reasonable four month wait.
The shortest waiting times are for MG’s new MG4 and MG5 models, with some dealers offering delivery in just four weeks. However, the company’s ZS EV is still facing waiting lists which are longer than a year. Ora said its new Funky Cat is currently in free supply with a quoted delivery time of around 15 days.