Dealers continue to be reluctant to buy electric cars at auction because of unfamiliarity with the technology and fears over the charging infrastructure.
That’s the view of Glass’s which carried out research into dealers and how they view pure electric cars.
Jayson Whittington, Glass’s chief car editor, said: “There still appears to be a reluctance from the majority of dealers to buy electric vehicles at auction.
“According to the results of Glass’s latest online dealer survey, only 5% of independent dealers who responded, say they regularly stock electric cars,” he said.
There are a number of reasons as to why dealers have reservations about the technology in the used sector, including the charging infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, a perception that they do not represent good value for money.
Unfamiliarity with the technology and generally poor demand from consumers were also factors at play, he said.
“Whilst there are some retailers who specialise in EVs, they tend to be small in scale, with franchise dealers still the most common outlet for used examples.
But the market will change as volumes increase and EVs will make their way increasingly into the independent sector
“As electric cars continue to increase in the new market, there will come a time when franchised dealers are unable to cope with the volume of used examples, with online trade and auction channels likely to be the preferred route for remarketing.
“It is therefore essential that buyers are introduced to and encouraged to try selling EVs.
Whittington said there had been some positive moves in the used market, citing Shoreham Vehicle Auctions in conjunction with the Energy Savings Trust, which set up a series of training sessions for independent dealership sales staff.
“The aim is to give dealers the confidence to start regularly stocking them and ultimately to improve auction sales performance, by helping to create demand,” he said.