Supply on AutoScout24 continued along its growth trajectory in the first six months of the year; with almost 500,000 vehicles, the number of advertisements rose by 11.6% compared to the previous half-year. The supply of electric cars rose particularly sharply, with 50% more listings on the online platform. Average vehicle prices remained high, and even increased further in some vehicle categories. By contrast, prices for vehicles with alternative drives reduced slightly in the first half-year.Electric cars were listed on AutoScout24 for the longest time, with an average of 70 days, while minivans had the shortest listing time, with an average of 47 days.
‘The delivery problems on the Swiss automotive market seem to be largely behind us. We’re also noticing this at AutoScout24. Anyone looking to buy a car can enjoy the wider selection that our marketplace has to offer. In the first half-year of 2023, 11.6% more vehicles were advertised on our platform compared with the previous half-year,’ says Maurice Acker, Director of Business Customers at AutoScout24. From January to June 2023, around 73,900 new cars were advertised on the online platform. This was more than 11,000 more vehicles compared to the previous half-year and represents an increase of 17.7%. ‘The improved delivery situation for new cars is also having a positive impact on the second-hand market. Lots of private individuals and companies who had a new car on order can finally take delivery of their vehicle, meaning that their old one ends up on the used car market,’ says Maurice Acker. The supply of second-hand vehicles increased by around 40,300 vehicles (+10.5%) in the first half-year of 2023, making a total of around 423,600 used cars advertised on the online marketplace.
27,000 electric cars on AutoScout24
If we look at supply on AutoScout24 according to different fuel types, the number of adverts for electric cars increased the most, in percentage terms. From January to June 2023, more than 9,000 more electric vehicles were advertised on the online marketplace than in the previous half-year, which represents an increase of 51.9%. In the case of plug-in hybrids and full hybrids, the range of each vehicle type increased by 28.4% (+3,820 plug-in hybrids and +3,700 full hybrids). Adverts for mild hybrids increased by 4,730 vehicles, which amounts to an increase of 19%. ‘In recent years, the trajectory of advertised vehicles with an alternative drive on AutoScout24 has only moved in one direction: upwards. From compact cars, through family cars, to luxury sports cars – the market for vehicles with alternative drives is becoming increasingly diverse and now offers consumers a wide range of vehicles. This is all also driven, of course, by stricter CO2 guidelines and technological change,’ says Maurice Acker, who is delighted by this positive trend. Although most of the vehicles on AutoScout24 are still petrol or diesel cars, their share is continually shrinking. In the first three months of the year, the number of diesel vehicles on offer increased by 11.9% (+12,925 vehicles), with the number of petrol vehicles increasing by just 6.7% (+17,505 vehicles). Other alternative drives such as natural gas and hydrogen are still niche segments at AutoScout24: in total, around 690 cars with gas and 120 cars with hydrogen drives were available on the digital car marketplace in the first half-year.
Body types: SUVs see the largest increase in supply
Looking at the advertisements on AutoScout24 according to different body types, we see that SUVs increased the most in the first half-year of 2023, in percentage terms. Compared to the previous quarter, 15.9% more SUVs (+22,850 vehicles) were advertised on the online platform. Maurice Acker is not surprised by this. ‘Switzerland has long been a country of SUVs. These vehicles are considered to be safe and their slightly elevated seating position provides an excellent view of the road. SUVs are also more of a status symbol than estate or compact cars.’ Minivans recorded an increase of 13.2% (+3,750 vehicles) in the same period. The number of estate cars increased by 9.7% (+6,270 vehicles). There were also more saloons on offer than in the previous half-year (+8.9%/+8,120 vehicles). The supply of compact cars rose by 7.1% (+4,640 vehicles).
Vehicle prices remain high
‘Generally speaking, the average prices for vehicles remained at a high level in the first half-year of 2023 and even rose somewhat in some cases in spite of increasing supply. In addition to the follow-on effects of the coronavirus pandemic, material bottlenecks, the war in Ukraine and heightened demand – all of which have influenced prices in the recent months and years – the effect of inflation is also taking its toll,’ says Maurice Acker. This can be seen, for instance, in the average price of CHF 60,645 for a new car advertised on AutoScout24. This was CHF 1,046 more than in the previous half-year, representing an increase of 1.8%. Even the price of second-hand vehicles rose by 2.5%, with a used car costing an average of CHF 37,152.
Almost all vehicle types more expensive – except for estates
Looking at the figures by body type, the prices of almost all vehicles increased. Prices of minivans rose by 11.1%, which is the largest increase of any body type. The average price listed for these vehicles on AutoScout24 was CHF 24,753. On average, a compact car cost CHF 17,198, which represents a price increase of 4.6%. For a saloon car, the average price was CHF 36,300, which is CHF 1,373 more (+3.9%) than in the previous half-year. Prices did not increase as significantly for SUVs; prices rose by 1.6%, meaning that an SUV cost CHF 46,280 on average. However, estate cars were cheaper in the first half-year of 2023. They cost an average of CHF 31,622, which is CHF 250 less (-0.8%) than in the previous half-year.
Vehicles with alternative drives slightly cheaper
When analysing the figures by drive type, the main takeaway is that the average prices of vehicles with alternative drives have fallen slightly. Gas-powered vehicles saw the greatest fall in prices (-9.2%; average price of CHF 16,245). Prices for mild hybrids also fell in the same period by almost CHF 2,000 (-3.2%), meaning that a mild hybrid cost CHF 58,919 on average. The fall in prices for electric cars and plug-in hybrids was not as significant (-2.5% and -2% respectively), with an electric car costing CHF 59,273 on average and a plug-in hybrid CHF 60,564. The prices of diesel vehicles also fell by -1.5% (average price: CHF 29,737). Petrol cars, on the other hand, saw a price increase of +4.9%, with an average cost of CHF 39,921.
Electric cars have the longest list time
In the first half-year of 2023, the average list time of new cars on AutoScout24 was around 61 days, which is almost three days more than in the previous half-year. By contrast, second-hand cars were advertised on the platform for an average of around 53 days. The number of days that vehicles were on the online platform varies depending on the vehicle type and ranges from 47 days for minivans to 57 days for SUVs. Broken down by fuel type, electric cars were online on AutoScout24 for the longest time, at an average of 70 days, which is 12 days longer than in the previous half-year. For Maurice Acker, the market situation is still exciting for buyers: ‘Both private and commercial advertisers are currently benefiting from very good prices and low list times.’
Dataset
The analysis examined supply data for passenger cars for 2022 (01/01 – 31/12/2022) and HY1 2023 (01/01 – 30/06/2023) at autoscout24.ch. For the price analysis, the supply data was segmented according to new and second-hand vehicles, fuel type and vehicle type. For the list times, the average is the number of days that a vehicle was advertised on the platform.
