Record-high fuel prices and a record number of newly available affordable models have pushed electric vehicle sales in the European Union to an all-time high this year, Transport & Environment, a European advocacy group for clean transport and energy, said in a report on Monday.
Between January and August, sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) soared by 45% from a year earlier to as many as 1.64 million units across the EU.
In a landmark achievement, BEVs outsold gasoline-fueled cars for the first time over a full quarter in the second quarter of 2026, Transport & Environment’s analysis showed.
The second quarter of the year marked peak Strait of Hormuz disruption (so far), which sent crude oil prices soaring, and fuel prices surging even faster.
“Petrol and diesel drivers pay the price of Europe’s oil dependency, electric drivers do not,” the authors of the report wrote, noting that the oil crisis is pushing buyers towards electric vehicles and even auto executives acknowledge that the surge in EV demand is partly due to the high gasoline and diesel prices.
Home-charged electric cars cost 50% less to run than gasoline and diesel cars as of the middle of September 2026, according to Transport & Environment’s analysis.
The surge in the number of new models, some of which affordable at a price below $28,000 (25,000 euros), is also contributing to the soaring EV sales.
About 60 new models are expected by the end of 2026, a record high and nearly 4 times the average 15 new models per year between 2021 and 2025, Transport & Environment said.
Official automotive figures also confirmed the findings—the fuel crisis is shifting buyer preferences to EVs.
BEV sales in Europe, including the UK, Switzerland, and Norway, surged by 52.2% in August from a year earlier as record-high gasoline and diesel prices prompted drivers to flock to battery and hybrid vehicles, according to data by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, ACEA.
“Demand for a range of electrified vehicles remained strong, driven by market support measures and a broader model offering,” ACEA said last month.
By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com
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