Waiting times for new electric vehicles (EVs) are expected to be the same as petrol and diesel models as the new car market recovers from the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis, according to WhatCar?.

Research conducted by WhatCar? revealed the average waiting time on a new EV has dropped significantly within the past 12 months, with most new EVs available within 12 weeks.

Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: “Waiting times on a new electric car used to extend as far as 12 months, but with more models entering the market we’re finally starting to see those times fall to match those of petrol and diesel variants.

“As the new car market recovers from the coronavirus crisis, many of the most popular electric vehicles can be delivered as quickly as a petrol or diesel vehicle, which is a real boost for prospective buyers keen to get on with electric motoring.

"What’s also encouraging is that some of the newest and most popular EVs can be had with a healthy discount, according to our Target Price research.”

The findings come after the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) revealed new car registrations fell by 44.4% in March due to the coronavirus lockdown. Despite this, EV registrations rose 197.4% year-on-year in the same month.

WhatCar?’s research also revealed that eight manufacturers currently have stock of electric cars in the UK, meaning buyers will be able to place an order and their vehicle delivered within two weeks.

This includes the Tesla Model 3, the Renault Zoe and the Peugeot e-208. However, both the Renault and Peugeot can take up to 12 or 16 weeks to arrive depending on the exact specification chosen.

WhatCars?’s research also found that the most ‘in-demand’ electric cars have also fallen.

The AM Awards 2020's New Car of the Year, the Kia-e-Niro, had a waiting list that extended to more than a year, 12 months ago. As a result of increased supply, its lead time has been halved to 26 weeks.

The longest wait is on Porche’s first electric car, the Taycan (36 weeks) - the winner of the World Car of the Year Awards' Luxury and Perfoemance Car categories - followed by the Seat Mii Electric and the Skoda Citigo e IV (26 weeks), although Skoda is currently on hold for orders.

According to WhatCar? the increased competition for sales between car makers has led to significant discounts on electric cars, the average discount on a new fully electric vehicle is 3.92% or £1,455.