Chip shortages and high demand are to blame for long delivery times on some new car models. Is it worth waiting for your dream car? Here are the moments you should keep in mind.

Delivery times of a year or more

If you are looking for a new family electric car, you have probably considered the Skoda Enyaq iV80X. It ticks relevant boxes such as: Range, space, four-wheel drive and trailer hitch. When we drove the Enyaq earlier this year, we concluded that it was among the best. This is a car we can really recommend. The downside is the delivery time. It is 12 months, more specifically Christmas to next year.

Great uncertainty

The fact that the delivery time depends on subcontractors creates uncertainty. Another factor that makes the delivery time uncertain is that the factory may favor certain models at the expense of others. This can happen while you wait. As far as Skoda is concerned, it may also happen that the parent company – the Volkswagen Group – chooses to prioritize other brands within the same group. The uncertainty can go both ways. If the manufacturer wants to prioritize your car, the delivery time may be shorter than estimated.

When the queue suddenly disappears

We've seen it before. Following the launches of models such as the Opel Ampera-e, Hyundai Kona and Tesla Model 3, long delivery times occurred due to high demand. It was the production of the battery packs that was the official cause. Then a strange queuing phenomenon arose. Many had been on a waiting list for over a year to get their new car. At the same time as they received their cars, brand new customers could have cars delivered almost the same day they signed the contract. The phenomenon can perhaps be explained by the fact that production manages to "run in" when the shortage is resolved. Besides, new, better models are constantly appearing that attract new customers.

Like a pyramid scheme

When a reputable car manufacturer announces the upcoming launch of a new car with a long range, plenty of space and four-wheel drive, there can be a lot to gain from pre-ordering before seeing the car. If you wait until the car is available for a test drive and has received rave reviews in the press, the orders pile up. The first to order will benefit from that. The car they receive will be able to be resold without loss of value in the first year. Those last in the order queue risk becoming losers.

What can be lost by waiting?

We should not forget that a purchase contract is a right – a place in the queue to buy a coveted car. But it is also a “hostage situation”. A lot can happen in one year. These are turbulent times. Anyone can lose their income, get sick, experience a breakup or a change in family situation so that they no longer need the car they have signed a contract for.

But let's focus on the financial side. If the delivery time extends beyond the turn of the year to 2023, the politicians will probably have decided to introduce taxes on electric cars – initially value added tax. If you depend on selling the old car, it can present problems, especially when you don't know when the new car will arrive. It can also be difficult for the car dealer to give a trade-in price that will be binding in one year. If you are forced to sell quickly, you can lose tens of thousands of kroner. One solution many choose is to sell the car early and rent a car while you wait. Several companies have specialized in this. In any case, it represents an additional cost.

Include delivery time in the assessment!

We mentioned that the Skoda Enyaq iV80X ticks relevant boxes such as: Range, space, four-wheel drive and towbar. Perhaps we should also add delivery time as a feature? So if we add delivery time as a fifth requirement, the Skoda Enyaq iV80X ticks 4 out of 5 boxes. What other models tick 4 out of 5 boxes – given that the boxes are equivalent and one can be dispensed with?

New cars that can be delivered now

We have carried out a search on Finn.no for new and "used" cars with negligible mileage for sale from brand dealers. Be aware that parallel-imported cars may have different warranty conditions than Norwegian cars. It is not certain that the dealer states that the car is parallel-imported. Also make sure that you get cars with the "correct" battery pack and equipment - that is, of the same type that is brought in via normal imports. Heat exchangers and preheating of battery packs do not have to be standard in all markets.

*) Range requirement – ​​over 500 km in summer driving based on this article published in NAF.no
**) Trailer attachment requirements – be able to tow a trailer of at least 750 kg
***) Cars in stock for sale at Finn.no. If there are cars in stock on Finn.no, there are probably more in the dealer network. We have also searched for "ready-built" cars Tesla.com.

If we count the number of ticked boxes, we see that BYD Tang, Jaguar I-Pace, KIA Niro, Skoda Enyaq iv80 and Tesla 3 LR tick 4 out of 5 boxes. These competitors have short delivery times, but BYD and Jaguar do not meet the range requirement – ​​the KIA Niro and Skoda Enyaq iV80 do not have 4-wheel drive and the Tesla 3 LR has too little space to be called a family car. The compact cars KIA Soul and Hyundai Kona have good ranges, but can only tow feather-light trailers. These models have been on the market for a long time, and have a relatively short delivery time as many are in stock or can be ordered from the boats.

Other models

Volkswagen ID.4 GTX
We mentioned that the delivery time for the Skoda Enyaq iV80X is 12 months. This is what Skoda dealers are quoting right now. Volkswagen states the delivery time for the ID.4 GTX to be 5 months - i.e. by the summer holidays 2022. However, the ID.4 GTX is technically identical to the Enyaq iV80X. The two models use the same data chips and should thus have had equally long delivery times. Since several models are now increasing their delivery times, it is not unexpected if Volkswagen is forced to reconsider its delivery times.

Chinese cars
It seems that Chinese models are not as badly affected by the supply shortage of data chips as Western models. This applies to models such as BYD Tang, Maxus Euniq, Polestar 2 and Xpeng G3. Many people are currently skeptical about buying Chinese car brands. The ongoing supply crisis for Western car brands may make more people choose Chinese.

Tesla Model 3 and Model Y
Tesla has developed a large production facility in Shanghai, China, which from this summer will supply cars to Norway. They have stated that they have recently changed the software so that it can use other data chips - probably supplied by Chinese subcontractors. Tesla has deliveries to Norway every quarter. One can only hope that the cars with new chips and new software do not have children's diseases when they arrive in Norway. Tesla has simple configurations - few options - which makes it easy to choose cars from stock or fleet.

How to deal with the delivery time

Sitting on the fence?
One way to deal with the delivery time is not to sign a contract until the queue is gone. It sounds like wishful thinking, but in several previous cases it has been shown that queues disappear quickly. When the Tesla 3 was launched, the delivery time was approximately 9 months. If you waited until "everyone" had received, you could get a car with a short delivery time - several cars were even in stock from buyers who had withdrawn. You don't get the car faster than others by sitting on the fence, but you get it almost as quickly - and you don't have to make any long-term commitments.

Sell ​​your old car in good time!
Not all car dealers dare to give a trade-in price one year in advance. If you are dependent on selling the old car even before you get the new one - for example due to a parking situation or cash flow - it pays to sell the car well before the new one arrives. It often takes several weeks to sell a car. If you are forced into a quick sale, drop the price. You can lose several tens of thousands on that. Be aware that professional buyers know how to take advantage of "must sell" situations. In the time from when the old car is delivered until the new car arrives, you can rent a car. There are several companies that specialize in short-term rental to private individuals. Here, the dealer may have solutions, for example by accepting trade-in cars at once and arranging a rental car during the waiting period.

Be in dialogue with the dealer!
While you are waiting for a new car, you should be in constant contact with the dealer. Dealers with good routines and systems ensure that customers are kept informed on an ongoing basis. If not, you should check the status with your contact person via email or phone at least a couple of times during the waiting period. If your salesperson has left the company, you may have to find a new contact person yourself. There are examples of car buyers having delayed delivery due to confusion in the dealer's ranks.