I do find it a bit daft that there is no competition at all, seems somewhat monopolistic. But I dont confess to know even a tiny tiny amount of the behind the scenes machinery of all this.
You know more than you think Logiejames! It is a monopoly. Even if there were only two providers we would see far better choice but, as it is, Motability Operations (the commercial company that we deal with, which is most definitely not a charity) have no competition. It is no wonder that twice as many people who are eligible to join the scheme use their benefits for other things, including sourcing cars privately.
To be balanced, the current chip scenario is no fault of the scheme. However, Motability Operations make hundreds of pounds profit on each and every lease, so it is in their interest to encourage customers to order cars that can be delivered reasonably quickly. Excessive lead times which result in extended leases reduce their turnover and profits. We have just taken delivery of a new Motability car but I have said to my wife that, the way the scheme is going, it is likely to be our last. We are fortunate that we have the means to go private but many don’t.