The EV fact thread

[Dryce]

Dumping stock in readiness to discontinue old tech/platform models.

AFAIAA this isn't normal MB practice. They try and hold the official apparent price of an outgoing model with special; editions - or with leasing deals.

I haven't previously seen them dump pre-registered current plate delivery mileage cars at deep discounts in this manner.

 

[MeQ]

AFAIAA this isn't normal MB practice. They try and hold the official apparent price of an outgoing model with special; editions - or with leasing deals.

I haven't previously seen them dump pre-registered current plate delivery mileage cars at deep discounts in this manner.

EQC lease deals have been on and off again for a couple of months now and it’s on the cards for the old ev platform to be discontinued.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

AFAIAA this isn't normal MB practice. They try and hold the official apparent price of an outgoing model with special; editions - or with leasing deals.
I haven't previously seen them dump pre-registered current plate delivery mileage cars at deep discounts in this manner.

A friend picked up a run out 2019 SL63 with a £40 or £50k discount. A "bargain" third off at s smidge under £80k, but IMHO an SL500 would have been a wiser buy for his golf club cruising.

That said, four years on and he's only lost £5k a year on it, which isn't a huge price to be paying

 

[ALFAitalia]

Was that pre reg or was he the first name on the log book. Mostly big discount like that are pre reg..... about the only way to discount that high is to put all your dealer registration bonus behind it along with some Mercedes support.....cars have no where near a 30% margin in for the dealer.

 

[markjay]

AFAIAA this isn't normal MB practice. They try and hold the official apparent price of an outgoing model with special; editions - or with leasing deals.

I haven't previously seen them dump pre-registered current plate delivery mileage cars at deep discounts in this manner.

As far as I know, pre-reg cars cannot be supplied on a business lease (because the tax benefit won't apply)?

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Was that pre reg or was he the first name on the log book. Mostly big discount like that are pre reg..... about the only way to discount that high is to put all your dealer registration bonus behind it along with some Mercedes support.....cars have no where near a 30% margin in for the dealer.

I think it had 2-3,000 miles on the clock, but still within the same registration period.

He was muttering stuff about them clearing stock because it was run out. Could have been various stories as to why they had it.

No idea whether it was on Finance. He's a leveraged Geezer, so could have been but who knows?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

AFAIAA this isn't normal MB practice. They try and hold the official apparent price of an outgoing model with special; editions - or with leasing deals.

I haven't previously seen them dump pre-registered current plate delivery mileage cars at deep discounts in this manner.

Who knows how much of it is anticipation of discontinuation and how much of it is simply managing long-held stock levels in the slowest part of a slow market. Much better to discount existing stock than send to auction at the moment as auction prices are on the floor.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

In other news, there's much bickering going on in New York following a new Tesla promotion for the "Carriage Trade."

Long queues at Tesla Superchargers in Brooklyn with New Yorkers "getting a bit spirited" on the subject.

Not relevant to King Charles' Kingdom, perhaps, but it does open questions about what happens to the Supercharger network when Ford and VAG are given access to Superchargers later in 2024.

 

[markjay]

In other news, there's much bickering going on in New York following a new Tesla promotion for the "Carriage Trade."

Long queues at Tesla Superchargers in Brooklyn with New Yorkers "getting a bit spirited" on the subject.

Not relevant to King Charles' Kingdom, perhaps, but it does open questions about what happens to the Supercharger network when Ford and VAG are given access to Superchargers later in 2024.

New Yorkers are short tempered lot.... in San Francisco they'd be sharing a spiff while queuing

 

[markjay]

And on that theme I recently came across the stat for manual transmission sales in the USA.

One percent of new car sales.

One percent.

.

Americans baffled after seeing how a 'stick shift' car works

Americans have been left baffled at seeing a viral video about how a manual transmission in the car works - with many admitting they have no clue how to drive a stick shift.

mol.im

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

New Yorkers are short tempered lot.... in San Francisco they'd be sharing a spiff while queuing

And, for those who don’t get out much, New York is a bit of a high rise place.

Unlike East London and Essex, where every damn fool has a driveway with 2p a mile charging or easy access to a fast charger doling it out at 10p a mile.

 

[Dryce]

Who knows how much of it is anticipation of discontinuation and how much of it is simply managing long-held stock levels in the slowest part of a slow market. Much better to discount existing stock than send to auction at the moment as auction prices are on the floor.

Stock of these cars at a dealer chain may well already have been auctioned - which is why the dealer chain has it.

I suspect there is an underlying issue with the EQC. These are genuinely premium cars. But they don't quite cut it in the EV market - and add to that the contraction in the EV market. Double whammy. Normally MB would pass them through on cheap leases or through the dealers as 'management; cars. But there is likely too much stock - and they feel they have to register them. And not enough market. So we're seeing something unusual for MB.

SWMBO looked at the headline on these and started to look at the option of buying one. (Which is why I've been watching). But we quickly worked out that even at £46K for what is all in name a brand new car that the EQC wouldn't work for us even at that price. We clearly are not the only potential customers thinking that way.

Also it's worth bearing in mind that the EV 'sales' contraction at the end of last year wasn't measured by sales nut by registrations - it's clear that some of these registered cars have yet to be sold - which likely makes the contraction worse.

 

[ALFAitalia]

The reduction in EV sales overall last year only existed on car forums and in the media....in the real world the BEV market annual sales increased by nearly 50,000 cars.....strange that the media only concentrate on the last month of the year......when EVs often sell less.....even with low December sales their annual market share only dropped by 0.1%.....

 

[ALFAitalia]

.....and of course EV sales will lose a bit of momentum when the government give people five more years to buy ICE cars....so they don't have that immediate worry that any ICE car they might be worthless in a just a few years time.

 

[ChipChop]

The reduction in EV sales overall last year only existed on car forums and in the media....in the real world the BEV market annual sales increased by nearly 50,000 cars.....strange that the media only concentrate on the last month of the year......when EVs often sell less.....even with low December sales their annual market share only dropped by 0.1%.....
View attachment 152236

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, growth in car sales in Britain in 2023 was driven entirely by fleet investment, as the previous year’s supply constraints faded and helped fulfil pent-up demand. Fleet deliveries rebounded by 38.7% year on year, while business registrations, a small proportion of the market, fell by -1.5%. Private consumer demand remained stable at 817,673 units (-0.1) after a strong recovery in 2022 — cost of living pressures and high-interest rates constrained growth.

2023 (Full Year) Britain: New Car Market Overview and Analysis - Car Sales Statistics

In full-year 2023, the new car market in Britain expanded with sales up by 18% to 1.9 million new passenger vehicle registrations in the UK.

www.best-selling-cars.com

 

[ChipChop]

.....and of course EV sales will lose a bit of momentum when the government give people five more years to buy ICE cars....so they don't have that immediate worry that any ICE car they might be worthless in a just a few years time.

Petrol remained by far the most popular fuel source for new cars sold in Britain in 2023.

 

[ALFAitalia]

They will....especially because if the ICE ban delay.....but it wont stay that way for long....the nearer we get to 2035 the more people will go BEV....don't forget most people are not on car forums and really could not care less what powers their car....my dad is a typical example of a non car person whos going EV next time....he's a retired 801 year old.

As far as company cars goes....well company car buying has always had the biggest effect on overall sales figures....typically accounting for around 50% of all cars sold......it was about the same when I was selling cars in the 90%.....however less and less people are taking the company car option now....many taking the cash alternative and buying their own cars...mostly on PCP......it can work our pretty similar financially....and of course if they change jobs they don't lose their car!!!

 

[Petrol Pete]

Geoff has some facts here about what is happening to the EV side of some big manufacturers but he does go a bit 'tin foil hat' conspiracy in his blog.

Our English Australian reports on what's happening down under to the values of EV's . Personally I think the Australian EV thing is far removed from the UK experience mainly because range anxiety is probably real down there , I have been there a few times once doing the 'camper van' thing . Distances are indeed great.

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[Dryce]

.....and of course EV sales will lose a bit of momentum when the government give people five more years to buy ICE cars....so they don't have that immediate worry that any ICE car they might be worthless in a just a few years time.

So .... the underlying fact is that BEVs are not succeeding on their own merits - and giving a bit of regulatory respite to the ICEs further reinforces that lack of BEV success,

I would hope that the 5 year respite gives the manufacturers a chance to sort out their BEV path forward and fid a way to fill in the lower BEV model ranges with products that can create a positive BEV forward momentum.

 

[Dryce]

Our English Australian reports on what's happening down under to the values of EV's . Personally I think the Australian EV thing is far removed from the UK experience mainly because range anxiety is probably real down there ,

Australian petrol prices are rather less than the UK as well.