Europe's EV demand jumps
Higher fuel prices tied to the Iran war have pushed European buyers toward electric vehicles, with online marketplaces reporting a surge in interest that could settle at a ‘new, higher normal’. At the same time, public resistance to Chinese car brands has fallen sharply—only 21% now say they would outright reject a Chinese marque, down from 46% two years ago—and Chinese and foreign manufacturers are intensifying electrification efforts in China (theguardian.com) (in.investing.com) (english.news.cn).
European drivers are moving faster toward electric cars as petrol prices jump, and car marketplaces across the region say demand has spiked. (rte.ie) Online platforms told Reuters in late March that the average cost of petrol in the European Union rose 12% from February 23 to March 16 after the war in Iran disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. French used-car seller Aramisauto said electric vehicles’ share of its sales almost doubled after mid-February. (marketscreener.com) The shift is showing up in broader market data too. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said battery-electric cars reached 18.8% of new European Union registrations in the year to February 2026, up from 15.2% in the first quarter of 2025, while hybrids held a 35.5% share last year. (acea.auto) Resistance to Chinese car brands has also fallen. Escalent said only 21% of surveyed European buyers now say they would outright reject a Chinese marque, down from 46% two years earlier, based on a study of 1,630 buyers in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. (escalent.co) That change comes as Chinese brands expand in Europe on price and familiarity. Escalent said one in five car owners would consider a Chinese brand, and named MG and BYD among the 25 most familiar brands in its February 3, 2025 study. (escalent.co) The pressure is running both ways. In China, Xinhua reported on April 11 that foreign carmakers are stepping up electric and hybrid launches to recover share as new energy vehicles accounted for more than half of new car sales in 2025, citing China Association of Automobile Manufacturers data. (english.news.cn) Audi’s China joint venture with First Automobile Works is now developing fuel, electric and hybrid models in parallel while adding more intelligent-driving features, according to Xinhua. Volkswagen and First Automobile Works had already signed a March 18, 2025 roadmap to expand future models for the Chinese market. (english.news.cn 1) (english.news.cn 2) For European buyers, the immediate calculation is simpler than industrial policy. When fuel gets more expensive in a matter of weeks, electric cars and hybrids look less like a climate bet and more like a hedge against the next price shock. (cnbc.com)
