According to new figures from dealer technology specialist iVendi, the three-hour period between 7pm and 10pm accounts for a substantial 22% of daily online motor finance quotes.

The company formally known as Webzation says a typical day starts in earnest from 9am to 10am, when around 5% of requests are received.

Usage then builds throughout the day before peaking in the evening. There is also considerable ‘night owl’ activity, with around 7% of the daily total occurring between 11pm and 2am.

The findings are based on over a million finance quotes generated by iVendi’s Quoteware e-commerce platform, which is used by more than 600 new and used car and van dealers.

Director of iVendi, James Tew, commented: “The peak period is between 7.30pm and 8.30pm. People get back home from work, eat some tea and then go online.

“The crucial point is that peak activity occurs when the dealership is shut. It means the software is enabling you to continue business outside of opening hours.”