The Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) is encouraging consumers to take advantage of the ready supply of battery electric vehicles (BEV) available in showrooms.
Dealerships across Australia say wait times for EV buyers have been slashed in recent months, says the AADA.
Many variants are available and in stock now, and for some brands there is as little as a one month wait time for new orders placed today, it explains.
“There is no shortage of EVs available for purchase here in Australia,” says AADA chief executive James Voortman.
“In many instances customers can walk into a dealership and drive out in a new EV in a matter of days.
“In particular, EVs at the more affordable end of the spectrum have strong levels of supply which is good news for customers looking to make the transition to a BEV.
“We have canvassed dealers across the country and checked delivery timeframes for online distributors. The supply situation for EVs is very healthy,” Voortman says.
“We know there have been reports in the media recently of long wait times for customers who are looking to purchase a BEV.
“However, customers can rest assured there is plenty of stock and while there are some variants that continue to have extended wait times, supply issues are being resolved quickly, allowing customers to get into their new EV sooner,” he adds.
“Customers should take note of the various state government EV purchase incentives, including in NSW where buyers can access EV stamp duty exemptions and rebates for contracts to purchase completed before January 1, 2024.
“Supply of some popular ICE and hybrid vehicles remains an issue, but the situation is improving.”
Dealers are continuing to work with their manufacturers to deliver vehicles to customers as soon as possible and the AADA encourages any customers looking to purchase an EV to contact their local franchised new car dealer.
Meanwhile, Australia-first research shows the auto industry is gearing up for EVs.
About 50% of Australian workshops are either EV-ready or actively investing in skills and equipment with a future focus, says the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) in releasing its Australia-first 2023 Future Readiness Index research with Fifth Quadrant.
This is the first research of its type, commissioned to determine if Australian workshops are effectively preparing for upcoming market changes and to measure their stance on technological advancements, the AAAA adds.
“As an industry, we have been dealing with assumptions around our EV readiness, misunderstandings about attitudes towards EVs, and questions around what kind of regulation or oversight is needed,” says AAAA government relations and advocacy director Lesley Yates.
“What this research shows is that a large portion of our industry’s workshops, 50% in fact, are either already EV-ready (one in 10) or already investing heavily in future readiness, prioritising skills and equipment to create a safe and productive working environment.
“Many of these workshops are already successfully and safely servicing and repairing EV and hybrid vehicles and have been doing so for over a decade.
“And importantly, the majority of those that aren’t actively investing right now (39%) are not ‘EV rejectors’, instead they are simply waiting until it makes more commercial sense in their specific local markets to make such investments,” says Yates, adding that’s understandable given Australia’s national fleet is expected to comprise 90% internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in 2030, even if EV sales in 2030 reach as high as 50%.
The online survey was held in July and August 2023, surveying automotive workshop decision makers spanning a range of different business sizes among not only AAAA members but also the wider automotive industry.
Click here for a summary with the full findings available to AAAA members, and for purchase by non-members.
