Auto Trader is offering car dealers the chance to advertise their entire stock of brand-new unregistered cars online for free until early 2019 as part of its launch a new service.

The online retail platform estimates that around 100,000 unregistered cars currently lie dormant and unadvertised in transit or in dealership storage compounds and is making a bid to help retailers turn their stock into sales.

Retailers can now promote their entire range of unregistered new cars to what Auto Trader claims is the UK’s largest automotive audience – with around 55 million multi-platform visits each month – in the same way they do their used stock.

Auto Trader's manufacturer and agency director, Ian Plummer, said: “Whether it’s the result of new WLTP regulations, fuel type confusion, Brexit anxieties or simply not enough in-store visitors, the increased complexities of the new car market has made hitting sales targets more challenging than ever.

“As a result, many industry experts estimate that somewhere around a quarter of all new cars today are tactically registered in one way or another.

“We want to offer a genuine alternative to that sort of unsustainable business, by creating a one-stop-shop experience for consumers which enables our retailers to promote their entire stock of new and used cars to millions of engaged buyers.”

Auto Trader said that two-thirds of consumers are open to a new car when starting their buying journey, but the majority don’t know what new cars are available, whether they’re in budget, or how soon they’ll be available.

It said that its new car listing service would allow potential customers to choose from new or used all in one place, without the need to make a trade-off on their ideal next car.

The platform claims to provide a fair marketplace which avoids any risk of a ‘race-to-the bottom’,  with search results display cars within a default 50-mile radius and ranks by distance, helping to connect the right buyer to the right retailer who has the right car for them.

Auto Trader said that over 1,000 franchise retailers across the UK are already advertising more than 16,000 brand-new cars on its platform.

Retailers can send their brand-new stock to Auto Trader via their existing data-feed for used car stock and a dedicated technical support team is available to assist them in getting the stock live.

Plummer said: “Consumers already trust Auto Trader for new cars. And we recognise that we still have a long way to go before we can claim to have given them what they really want; that is, a fundamentally easier, quicker and more transparent new car buying experience than they can find anywhere today.

“But the new functionality we’re bringing to market is a reflection of our commitment to make Auto Trader the UK’s number one consumer destination for both new and used cars, and to do so in a way which will provide true value to both our retailer and brand partners alike.

“For example, our rapidly expanding team, led by former senior executives from a range of manufacturers, has won multiple awards for its outstanding insights and data which have already proven invaluable in helping brands shape their own new car marketing strategies.”