EV sales surge in Australia amid rising petrol prices

Electric vehicle adoption in Australia is accelerating as concerns grow over fuel shortages and rising petrol prices.

New car sales data released today, a month into the ongoing war with Iran, shows that the share of EVs has doubled compared to March of last year, News.Az reports, citing Australian media.

The growth in EV sales reflects a broader shift in the country’s car market. Online searches for electric vehicles and showroom visits have surged, highlighting growing consumer interest. Experts note that as global fuel supply disruptions continue and households seek to reduce costs, now is a critical time to address remaining barriers to EV adoption.

Market data shows that 15,839 battery electric vehicles were sold in March, marking a 42% increase from the previous month. This growth comes even as overall new car sales fell by 3.3%, signaling that EVs are claiming an increasing share of the Australian market.

Looking at the annual averages over the past four years shows petrol car sales are declining and are down more than 25 per cent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to just four years ago.

While Australia's embrace of rooftop solar has been nothing short of staggering — one in three homes now generate their own power — EVs did not quite get the same embrace. 

Analysis by clean energy tech think tank Ember shows Australia's share of new EVs sold in 2025 (14.3 per cent) lagged behind emerging economies such as Vietnam (38 per cent) and Thailand (21 per cent).

But since the conflict in the Middle East brought global fuel vulnerability to the fore, consumer interest has spiked. Google data shows searches for the term EV have almost tripled from the start of the year to the end of March.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev