u/i_marketing

So we know of the record sales in March of EVs in Australia and New Zealand, after the statistics have come out. But what was interesting is that I read an article from Cleans Technica and the writer of that article documented various responses they had read from Australian and New Zealand car buyers, with most responses on the low supply, or even no supply, at various dealerships in Australia and New Zealand (although there were a small handful of responses where some dealerships had ample supply):

>Just like toilet paper in 2020 > >A friend bought a Tesla last week, salesman went to sleep with over 1,000 cars in stock, woke up the next morning to them almost all sold, maybe 12 left. > >A massive and sudden shift from rumours of tens of thousands of unsold EVs in paddocks. > >Talk to the dealers … mine is shattered. He mentioned a 50% conversion rate of sales from test drives. > >I wonder how the sales of ICE cars are going? > >I’m also hearing the same rumours that some demo stock at BYD is out > >I was looking at a second hand MG4 in South Australia, but stocks have dried up pretty well there. I’m sure new cars are fine, it’s the already deprecated units I’m keen on. > >While I don’t have any numbers, used car stocks of EVs have definitely dropped. > >Plenty of EVs coming off the ships. KIAs and Hyundais are what I work with but see lots of BYDs as well. > >New South Wales EV registrations were up ~50% Feb to March. I delayed a little (was doing research and looking at which BYD full EV to purchase prior to the fuel crisis). I delayed my decision by a week, and it went from 4 options to buy off the lot to one… luckily it was the Seal I had set my eyes on, but I did a ring around in central west NSW to try and source a premium for the longer range with no luck. One dealer told me that they are completely out of demos and have been told not to sell their next lot of demo vehicles. If this is true, there will be demo BYDs but a wait if you choose to order. A week ago, it was 6-8 weeks. I’d imagine this is longer now. I called around recently to purchase something under $AU40k and it definitely felt like everything was sold out unless I was happy to wait 6-8 weeks. Luckily found one with 1100km on the clock and purchased it asap. > >The EVs on the lots near me have the same stock as a couple of months ago. I do live in a regional area though and they tend to believe Sky News/Murdoch anti-EV articles and aren’t too smart. > >VW ID Buzz there were heaps in the carpark of our local dealer 2 months ago. Now completely empty. We had to travel. I regret waiting. > >Local Kia dealer had lots of EVs in their yard 5 weeks ago, MGs and KIAs, Port Kia. Went for a test drive with a neighbour in an EV3 and Mg4 now they only have 1 new EV5 GT on their website been no stock there for a few weeks now. > >I own EV-NRG and I can confirm home charger sales have exploded. We’re also seeing notable uplift on public charger usage. > Just before it all hit the fan, I was due to meet with a truck EV manufacturer/distributor to help with their marcomms. Between when we booked the meeting and the scheduled date, the fan was hit, so they sheepishly contacted me and apologised, saying they’d gone from quiet to run off their feet and about to run out of stock. The consumer behavioural change has been surprising. Every cloud…. > >Here in Perth, they’re very busy. Delivery wait times are blowing out. Since covid people are used to waiting, little yard stock. Some dealers I know have managed to shift old (new) stock though (like a 24 Kona hybrid at full RRP). > >With Jaecoo J5 hitting 4000 sales and 2000 in the last 2 weeks, availability and delivery times are a concern. > >I just bought from a BYD dealer in south Brisbane. We got in just before the rush. When we picked it up there was only a few models left, mainly the higher spec models. I asked when the next shipment is coming, informed May/June. > >Had a test drive booked in for a hybrid ute yesterday whilst my ute was being serviced. When I got there, they had to give me a petrol SUV. Every fully electric and hybrid car at the dealer was sold out. > >In August last year I bought a second hand 2020 Kona electric through Carsales. It had done 55k km and was still under warranty at the time. I paid $24,000. Very happy with it — great car! At the time there were plenty of 2019–2020 Konas in the $24k–$29k range — just in Sydney. I look in Carsales now and there is only one 2020 Kona listed in all of Australia and it is $38,500 (!!!) with 95k km on the clock. > >There are heaps of BYDs at the main sale centre in Wollongong. > >I went to BYD Reynella a fortnight ago to look at vehicles. They had no Atto 3, Seals or EV Sealions left to show me. I’m on a waitlist to just see one and test drive it. > >6 weeks ago, there was over 2000 EVs on EasyAuto123 website. Yesterday they had only one and that was gone by close of business (in Perth). > >I was occasionally checking out a used EV site but when I last checked every car was sold. > >Australian Capital Territory dealerships overwhelmed with buyers but little stock. They’re pulling sales staff from partner ICE vehicles lots. Ain’t it great! > >I work near the BYD holding yard at Pinkenba in Brisbane. It was running low a month ago, with a steady flow of trucks. It’s a lot fuller now but there are trucks constantly going in and out. Even though it looks fuller, cars aren’t staying there long at all. > >At the end of February, a Brisbane dealer group (Bartons) registered over 150 old stock MG4s as demos. They sold them all in less than three weeks. > >I was just at an EV dealer to look at a vehicle; they had none in stock and the one I was looking at was already sold and the customer was due to pick it up as soon as I had looked at it. He is expecting more in May. > >The Geely dealership at North Lakes was packed with EX5s in February. I drove past yesterday afternoon, and about half the yard was empty.