Russia sees surge in electric vehicle sales amid fuel shortages

In Russia, sales of new electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids surged by 118% year-on-year between June and August, according to data from Autostat. This shift follows significant fuel shortages and gasoline production drops caused by Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries. Reports indicate that production fell to approximately 70% of domestic demand, with 24 of the 33 largest refineries reportedly affected.

While the market remains small compared to global averages—with electric and hybrid vehicles accounting for roughly 6% of new car sales—the domestic model UMO 5 has become a top seller. The fuel instability has prompted many drivers to consider electric vehicles or converting existing cars to liquefied petroleum gas.