Disparity between list and real-world pricing is slowing EV adoption – FleetCheck

The gap between list and real world pricing for new electric vehicles (EVs) is causing confusion for fleets and hampering EV adoption, according to FleetCheck.

Peter Golding, CEO at the fleet software specialist, pointed out that high levels of discounting and extensive use of pre-registrations mean it is often impossible for outright purchase fleets to know whether the price they are being offered is a good deal.

He said: “Largely because of the ZEV Mandate, many manufacturers are making more electric cars and vans than buyers can accommodate, and subsequently having to discount them heavily – much more than would normally be seen for petrol or hybrid equivalents.”

This meant the traditional three-tier market – the list price, the price that a fleet can access from a manufacturer, and the dealer forecourt pre-reg price – was much further apart than the norm, Golding explained.

He added: “The situation is bad for cars but probably worse for light commercial vehicles, where demand for EVs is lower.

“Just this week, we recently received an e-mail of available pre-reg vans from a dealer that was more than 80% electric, some at prices that made a complete fiction of list.

“Spot deals that last a few weeks or a month are an additional issue.

“Everyone across the fleet sector hears of ridiculously low prices on particular EVs that become available when a boatload of stock arrives that a manufacturer needs to clear.”