How long is delivery on a lease car due to COVID?

Delivery time on a lease car

We have already written about how a lease vehicle will be delivered under a new COVID-compliant regime but one matter we didn’t discuss is the effect on delivery time on a lease car due to the aftermaths of COVID.

For a stock vehicle, by which we mean car physically sat at a dealership or compound, we would generally suggest that the turnaround would be 10-14 days from us placing the order.

This is always subject to the distance selling regulations for our individual customers (14 days beginning on the day after they sign the order with us). Bear in mind that for any allocation or factory order deals, the delivery times will be subject to build, logistics and availability.

The reality is that due to COVID, many of our dealership partners and logistics agents had to shut down temporarily.

This has created a huge backlog for both deliveries and collections plus with many staff working at “arm’s length” from home or still on furlough, the move towards our previous normality has been somewhat limited.

Kickstarting the automotive economy has not been without aches and pains due to the size of the operation and the complicated setup we all operate within; we are not selling protein powders and PS4 games like Amazon or the Hut Group! Cars are somewhat more complicated and expensive assets that need to be handled far more carefully than these smaller items.

The reality is that the new approach to a hygienic handover of a car is taking more time. Vehicles must be deep-cleaned before and after the PDI process, and in many cases they have to be transported rather than driven to the customer.

Before this situation, almost all cars were driven to a customer directly and a transporter would rarely be used as the method of transportation - mainly due to the costs of doing so.

However, once a vehicle has been cleaned and sterilised, employing a driver to move this from the dealership/compound directly to our customers is not without risks as they can be sat within the vehicle for many hours.

Some of our customers are suggesting they are not comfortable with this. As such, where a transported delivery is available (with or without cost), what customers need to be aware of is that this does push delivery times back further as there are far more delivery drivers than transporters.

Cases where we would generally suggest 14 days for a delivery are now turning into 21/28 day delivery estimates. Fundamentally this relies on the customer’s attitudes and what we are saying is that they either need the vehicle quicker (and driven) or they have to be patient if they want a lower-risk transported delivery.

Audi Q5 Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Our customer’s car pictured here, the Audi Q5 Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, was transported directly to them. Like many businesses, they have recognised that the move towards electrification is happening at a sharper rate than many thought.

It is not just about the lower BiK/company car tax but with annual mileages decreasing and attitudes towards the environment and carbon reduction increasing, the demand for electric car solutions is increasing.

But are PHEV and Pure EVs more expensive?

Not at all. With a Government grant of £3,000 for some pure EVs, enhanced residual values from finance companies and economics of scales from manufacturers, the cost price to the end user is reducing.

However, it is not just about the monthly price you pay for your vehicle - you also need to take into account the running costs of the vehicle or what we would term the 'whole of life costs'.

This will include the fuel, insurance, servicing and, where applicable, company car tax and National Insurance contributions. For the more considered customer, moving towards electric can actually save them money.

Audi Q5 Estate 55 TFSI e Quattro S Line Competition 5dr S Tronic

In terms of the car shown, the Audi Q5 Estate 55 TFSI e Quattro S Line Competition 5dr S Tronic, this is based on the following configuration:

• Turbo Blue Special Solid
• Fine nappa leather - Black with Rock Grey stitching
• Matt brushed aluminium inlays
• 20'' 5 segment spoke design alloy wheels in contrasting grey with diamond cut finish

As standard the car includes 20” alloys. Audi Parking system plus, pre-sense collision, cruise controlwith speed limiter, acoustic windscreen, light and rain sensors, privacy glass.

Hill hold and descent control, collision brake assist, mobile telephone preparation, Audi virtual cockpit (12.3” high resolution display), MMI navigation plus, auto dimming rear view mirror, electrically adjustable/folding/heated door mirrors, DAB radio, S Line aesthetics, high beam assistant,.

LED headlights with LED rear lights, 3-zone climate control, fine Nappa leather upholstery, body coloured externals, Type 2 charging cable, extend leather pack, 4-way electric lumbar support, heated front seats, anti-theft alarm.

Keyless go and massage function for front seats. In terms of additional options consider -  comfort remote pre conditioning and the 21” alloys.

On the technical side, company car and business users can note the P11d at £55,505 and CO2 at 56g/km. The 14kWH lithium-ion battery and 1984CC petrol engine produce 367ps, 0-62 times of 5.3 seconds and combined MPG of 117 miles. Electric-only driving range is around 25 miles. Service intervals are every 12 months or 9,000 miles on the Q5 PHEV.

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