EV consideration skyrockets in Australia

News
3 min read
Share this article:
News
10 min read

Fuel crisis spurs interest in EVs and hybrids as more Aussies look to make the switch

At a glance

Fresh data collected by carsales has revealed Australians are searching for electric vehicles at almost triple the rate they were last month, with the ongoing fuel crisis pushing more Aussies toward electrified vehicles than ever.

Key takeaways

  • EV searches on carsales have almost tripled from February to March 2026
  • BYD, Tesla, Polestar, Zeekr and Geely are the most-searched EV brands
  • Data shows lifetime EV consideration has risen significantly since late 2025

The Finer Details

As the ongoing war in Iran continues to impact global fuel supply, there’s been a huge uptick in both interest and consideration in electrified vehicles Down Under.

Searches for EVs have almost tripled this month compared to February when they were broadly stable, moving only a few percentage points week-on-week before the fuel crisis began.

According to carsales’ data services director Ross Booth, EV searches on carsales increased by 76.7 per cent during the week commencing March 2 compared to the previous week, with the most popular searches including BYD, Tesla, Polestar, Zeekr and Geely respectively.

Meanwhile, EV consideration – non-EV owners saying they’d consider buying an EV – increased by 19 per cent (to 55%) compared to previous survey results collected by carsales in November 2025.

Booth said it’s too soon to know if average used EV prices have shifted, but noted there tends to be a lag when sudden shocks like fuel price spikes occur.

“Consumer sentiment can shift quickly, but transaction data and advertised prices usually take longer to adjust,” he said.

“Over time, however, the laws of supply and demand still apply; if higher fuel costs persist, we would expect increased interest in more fuel efficient and electric vehicles to gradually flow through to used pricing.

“We’ll be watching the data closely over the coming months to see whether the best dynamic becomes more evident.”

The Road Ahead

But while EV consideration is up, purchase prices has overtaken resale value as the number one barrier holding Aussies back.

Those struggling to pay for fuel are unlikely to dig even deeper into their pockets and pay tens of thousands for an EV.

That said, concerns around pricing have dropped to 44 per cent (from 48% last November), according to our data.


A modified version of this article originally appeared on carsales.com.au

Share this article:

LinkedIn logo

carsales for Business

Disclaimer:
The information presented in this article is true and correct at the time of publishing. business.carsales.com.au does not warrant or represent that the information is free from errors or omissions. The content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice. For more details on our editorial standards and ethical guidelines, please visit our Editorial Guide Lines.