With the war in Iran and the rising cost of fuel, interest in electric cars is growing exponentially: an article in the Guardian reports how online marketplaces in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain have recorded a sharp increase in enquiries about electric vehicles since the conflict began in February.

The attack launched against Iran by the United States on 28 February last caused turmoil in global commodity markets, as Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil and gas exports. This led to a rapid rise in petrol and diesel prices, highlighting the greater cost-effectiveness of electric power.

Rising fuel costs drive growing interest in electric cars across Europe

Ajay Bhatia, chief executive of Mobile.de, the largest online car marketplace in Germany, stated that the new and used car market recorded an increase of more than 50 per cent in enquiries about electric cars in March compared to February. Enquiries about petrol and diesel cars fell over the same period, while those for hybrids, which combine an engine with a smaller battery, rose by 4 per cent.

Demand for electric vehicles in the German market, deeply rooted in the internal combustion engine sector, had already been rising compared to last year, partly thanks to higher purchase incentives offered by the Berlin government, but the real push came with diesel prices reaching €2.50 per litre in Germany: "What Germany's energy transition failed to achieve," said Bhatia, "has been brought about by economic reality."

"We have been witnessing a move away from internal combustion engines for some time," said Iain Read, content director at Carwow, the platform connecting buyers and dealers in the United Kingdom, Spain and Germany, which recorded a 20–30 per cent increase in enquiries about electric cars across all three markets between February and March. "With the war, however, we have seen this phenomenon accelerate. Consumers are concerned about the cost of living and want to keep their fixed expenses under control."

"Motorists are very sensitive to energy prices and are looking for alternatives," said Guillaume-Henri Blanchet, deputy general manager of La Centrale, one of the largest car listings portals in France. "We immediately noticed a reaction from motorists in searches for electric cars (160 per cent between the beginning of March and the beginning of April), as well as greater interest in used vehicles."

The portal AutoScout24 recorded demand for electric cars rising by around 40 per cent in Germany, Austria and Italy, while demand for petrol and diesel cars remained stable or declined.

Electric cars: a trend that will hold?

The question now for the automotive industry is whether this surge in interest will be permanent. "In my view it is a peak that will ease, but will not disappear entirely," said Bhatia of Mobile.de, who believes demand for electric cars will stabilise at a higher level than before, also thanks to improvements in charging infrastructure and falling prices for battery electric vehicles.

For Ian Plummer, customer director at Autotrader in the United Kingdom, there is still work to be done to ensure consumers are convinced that electric cars can fit their lifestyle, as previous fuel price spikes did not lead to a sustained increase in electric car purchases. "This crisis will leave scars on consumers," said Blanchet of La Centrale, for whom people will be more willing to consider a higher upfront cost if the prices for powering the car are lower in the long run.

The Norway case

Even before the outbreak of the war, Norway had set a record in the electric car market: in 2025 battery electric vehicles accounted for 95.9 per cent of new car sales in the country. In March 2026, 17,400 new battery-powered cars were registered: the BEV share, consistently above 95 per cent, once again approaches the totality of registrations (98.4 per cent), cementing the Scandinavian country's status as a laboratory for the energy transition.

Stay up to date on this and other mobility and tourism news by subscribing to the Itineraria newsletter.