German Drivers Accelerate Switch to EVs Due to Middle East War

More German drivers than ever are switching to electric vehicles due to the jump in fuel prices triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

A record 12% replaced their combustion-engine car with an EV in the second quarter, according to a survey for insurer Huk-Coburg published Tuesday. That’s more than twice the percentage recorded in January and February and there’s ample evidence that the Middle East conflict is a key driver of demand, the group said.

Particularly prolific drivers – those who cover more than 12,000 kilometers (7,457 miles) a year – switched to EVs, both used and new, at a significantly higher rate, while nearly a quarter of drivers said they considered or prioritized buying an EV for the first time solely due to higher fuel costs.

After the war on Iran began in late February, prices in Germany for petrol and diesel rose above €2 ($2.3) a liter for the first time since 2022 and were still comfortably above that level last week, according to official data.

Germany’s new subsidy program offering purchase and leasing incentives for zero-emission vehicles had already helped push the share of drivers replacing their combustion-engine cars with EVs to a record in the first quarter, according to an earlier survey for Huk-Coburg.

The insurer’s latest report is in line with surging EV demand across Europe. In June, new EVs fueled the continent’s largest jump in new-car registrations since late 2023.

Photograph: Electric automobiles sit parked in bays as they charge at the electric vehicle charging site, operated by Enercity AG, in Hanover, Germany, on Thursday, July 23, 2020; photo credit: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg

Related: