Electric vehicle waiting times fall for sixth consecutive month

Waiting times for electric vehicles have fallen for the sixth month in a row as ‘supply chain issues ease and demand slows’, according to new data.

Buyers of electric cars will now have to wait an average of five months to get the keys to their new car with waiting times down by 42 per cent since their peak in October 2022. They’re also down by 20 per cent on the same period in February.

Electric car experts Electrifying.com says that an increase in production and reduced pressure on supply chains has helped reduce waiting times, but the lack of more affordable electric vehicles is causing buyers to press ‘pause’ on their purchases.

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. 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.”

Recent figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that large fleets and vehicles bought for businesses are responsible for more than half the electric vehicles registered during April, showing that private buyers are delaying their purchases.