EV delivered before New Year’s Eve? This is what the brands say

Suppose you have ordered an electric car to quickly benefit from the 12 percent addition that will still apply in 2021, then of course you also want the car to be delivered this year. In recent years, car manufacturers have shown that they can often meet this last-minute increase in demand by means of increased production or large inventories. This year, however, most have a problem: the worldwide shortage of microchips is still leading to reduced production. So it can happen that the demand can no longer be kept up and people are more likely to miss out.

To see how the flag is now with three weeks to go until the turn of the year, AutoWeek asked the Dutch importers about the state of affairs. In some cases it is difficult to say anything concrete about availability and delivery time and unfortunately we have not received a response from everyone. It also applies that the reaction of the importers is a snapshot and of course something can change in the meantime or may have already changed. Nevertheless, we get a reasonable picture of the current state of the availability of popular electric cars.

Audi, Cupra, Porsche, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen

The Dutch importer of the above brands, Pon, states that ‘a large number’ of the cars still on order will be delivered this year. “Of course, this depends on when the cars are ordered. Due to the chip shortages, the expected delivery times are further in the future than usual, but we know this in advance and inform customers about this in advance.” So if all goes well you won’t be faced with surprises. Incidentally, ordering an electric car from stock is also an option to be ready for a 12 percent addition. The following cars are – at the time of writing – in stock:

Citroen, DS, Opel, Peugeot

There are therefore certainly still opportunities not only with the brands of the Volkswagen Group and people with a pending order do not seem to be just fishing behind the net. Things are also looking good at Stellantis for the time being. The importer says: “In anticipation of the increase in the addition, we have increased the production volumes of the e-versions. At the moment there is therefore still availability at the dealers and also the possibility to deliver a new version to be produced for the end of the year. This means we can still deliver new orders with a 12 percent addition.” Incidentally, there is no direct response from Fiat, which also falls under Stellantis. The same may apply to the Fiat 500e, but it is advisable to inquire about the possibilities at the dealer.

Ford

At Ford, of course, all eyes are on the Mustang Mach-E. To prevent shortages at the end of the year, Ford has built up a stock of this model in Antwerp. According to Ford, this involves thousands of cars in many different versions and colors. You can see the options available on the brand’s website. “By the way, there are many more cars in Antwerp than there are on the site. This is because not every individual car is placed on the site, but only the different variants. Suppose you want a black AWD with the Standard Range battery and a Technology package. Then you see one on the site, so to speak, but it may well be that there are 100 in Antwerp in reality.” Incidentally, the top version, the Mustang Mach-E GT, is scarce.

Honda

Honda expects that ‘most’ Honda’s E that are on order can be delivered before the end of the year. There is also a limited stock to order a Honda E.

Hyundai

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 appears to be quite popular. The South Korean brand expects that a total of ‘more than 2,000’ units will be delivered this year. That is up to people who have already ordered one, because by now you are too late for 2021. “We currently have no stock available for the Ioniq 5 in 2021, if a customer orders an Ioniq 5 now, the expected delivery time at the end of March/beginning of April,” said the importer. Perhaps the Kona Electric is still an alternative, because there is still a limited stock available for delivery in 2021.

Jaguar

If you want to drive an electric Jaguar, you naturally have to rely on the I-Pace. The importer has good news about this for those interested in registering another one before the turn of the year: “For this model, we are currently experiencing no direct challenges in terms of delivery (approx. 4 months) nor with any registration for end of 2021.”

kia

Unfortunately, not much concrete can be said about the delivery of Kia’s electric cars, except that people with standing orders are probably not fishing behind the net. Kia expects ‘the planned numbers to be realised’. So it seems that you are now too late if you want to get an electric Kia before the end of the year.

Mazda

The same applies to Mazda as to various other brands. Mazda expects that the MX-30s already on order can still be delivered this year and it also indicates that there is also a limited stock to put on license plate this year.

Mercedes-Benz

It is difficult to say whether you are too late at Mercedes-Benz or whether you can receive an EQ model before the end of the year. “Mercedes-EQ’s electric offensive remains a top priority. We are doing everything we can to ensure that customers can receive their new Mercedes-EQ as soon as possible,” said the importer. Mercedes-Benz expects that the situation will remain ‘volatile’ in the coming months. It is best to inquire directly with Mercedes about the possibilities.

Nissan

Anyone who has ordered an electric Nissan with the wish to receive it in December 2021 is in the right place for the time being. The Nissan importer also declares that there are still enough Leafs available from stock, so no worries there either.

polestar

As a purely electric brand, the Polestar is of course committed to not choking on the transition to 16 percent addition. In any case, Polestar keeps the promises it has made to its customers, although people who now want a Polestar quickly before the end of the year are too late: “Customers who have ordered a car with a desired and confirmed by Polestar delivery in 2021, will have their car delivered in 2021. Polestar will no longer have free stock available for delivery in 2021.”

Renault and Dacia

There also seems to be no man overboard at Renault when it comes to on-time delivery of electric cars. Production seems to be able to keep up with demand, also in the case of the Dacia Spring. An important note here is that Renault is dependent on when a new cargo arrives again or the cars are on time for registration in 2021. Trying to make your move at the last minute may therefore end in disappointment.

Tesla

Tesla has been able to avoid the chip shortage problems for a long time, so it seems that most of the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y ordered could be delivered before the end of the year. In addition, there is also the option of having cars delivered from stock. Just like with the other brands with stock, it is best to inquire about availability with the brand itself.

Volvo

Anyone who has already ordered a Volvo XC40 Recharge or C40 Recharge can probably have it delivered before the end of the year. That depends on when these were ordered. Volvo is in contact with the dealers about this. If you want to order one more now, it will only be delivered next year.

Disclaimer: as indicated earlier, the reported availability is a snapshot in which changes may have occurred in the meantime. The information presented here is therefore certainly no guarantee, but gives a global impression of the possibilities. For specific options, we advise you to approach the brand directly.