DRIVE TALKING

DELIVERY TIMES NEED TO PICK UP PACE

TALKING of electric cars, a friend ordered one for delivery at the start of July, and is still waiting. I won’t name the carmaker involved, because it’s a fairly common issue industry-wide, and it does rather underline the message being put out in ads by many major brands.

Demand for EVs still is outstripping supply, so ordering early is vital. Be warned, though, that by the time your car arrives, you might face a surcharge.

My friend was asked for an extra €2,000, which seems ludicrous when the delay is not the customer’s fault, and eventually a three-way split between the buyer, dealer and importer was agreed, so stand your ground. At this stage, they are of the mind they’d rather wait until the 231 registration period to take it home, because even if it arrives in early October, it effectively will seem six months old by January.

This week, Peugeot announced the 2023 arrival of the fully electric 308 and 308SW, which will use just 12.7kWh of battery power per 100km, making it the efficiency leader in the segment. That means the 54kWh battery (51kWh useable) will deliver range of around 400km.

If you want one, don’t say I didn’t give you plenty of notice!