10:21 am, June 12, 2026
Car dealers warned of tipping point in electric car sales with a new report suggesting fuel pressures could be causing a ‘sugar rush’ effect.
There’s been a significant increase in electric car interest on Autotrader, according to its newly released Road to 2030 report, which found that electric vehicles were the most popular fuel type on its platform for the last three months.
However, it has suggested the conflict in that the Middle East and headlines about petrol prices have caused this increase. It believes that without barriers removed, this electric adoption will only be a temporary increase.
Ian Plummer, chief customer officer at Autotrader, said: ‘There’s a real risk geopolitical forces are causing a temporary sugar rush for the UK’s EV market as buyers respond to soaring petrol prices.
‘We shouldn’t rely on international conflict to boost this transition – we’ve seen previous spikes in electric interest driven by petrol price hikes simply don’t last and there’s no guarantee this boost is here to stay.
‘When only 10% of recent non-electric car buyers considered an electric car, we’ve got problems.’
With three quarters of car buyers choosing a used car, Autotrader is calling on the government to make changes to support these drivers by diverting some of the Electric Car Grant funding, which is currently only available on new cars.
It has also said it would like to see the government ensure everyone is able to access low-cost at-home charging and a delay to the proposed electric vehicle excise duty.
Plummer continued: ‘Electric mass adoption is an exciting opportunity to change how we drive but we must be aware of the realities, there’s a chance the sales boost we’re seeing now will dry up future interest so we must work to address underlying barriers to adoption – we can’t rely on a war to stimulate demand.
‘The new research also highlights that thousands of people on lower household incomes are still being left behind. With less than five years to go until the ban on new petrol and diesel cars, the Government should do more to ensure an accessible and equitable transition.’
In the three months to May 31, 2026, 27% of enquiries made on Autotrader were about electric vehicles. In 2025, this figure was only 18% for the same period.
It saw particular growth in new vehicle enquiries, with a 125% increase year-on-year compared to 31% for the broader new car market on the platform.
The Road to 2030 report surveyed 2,000 new and used car buyers who have chosen not to go electric and found that only one in 10 had considered going electric. They said they were put off by price, charging and battery life.
More than eight in 10 buyers (84%) think electric cars are expensive to buy, seven in 10 (69%) find charging inconvenient, and almost two-thirds (65%) say there are not enough places to charge near their homes.
This is despite Autotrader’s March and April car pricing figures showing, for the first time ever, that the average price of a new EV advertised on its platform fell below that of the average petrol car.
In May, this price difference reversed as petrol was once again cheaper than electric by £13 on average, but the gap had fallen from £3,607 in the same period in 2025.]
What’s different now is the product is ready
Those working in the electric vehicle sector have pushed back on Autotrader’s findings that demand is fragile, and suggest that this increase in adoption is different from previous fuel shortages.
Tanya Sinclair, CEO of Electric Vehicles UK, said: ‘The Autotrader report highlights real barriers, but let’s be careful not to let legitimate concerns harden into a narrative that overstates consumer resistance.
‘When only 10% of non-EV buyers say they considered going electric, that’s not just a confidence problem; it’s an information problem. EVUK exists to correct exactly that.
‘The facts are increasingly compelling: the average new EV is now price-competitive with petrol, ranges have passed 300 miles, and the public charging network has more than 120,000 charge points.
‘When drivers get accurate information rather than outdated myths, interest leads to decisive change. The demand is real, and the sales data shows it’s growing. We don’t need geopolitical shocks to make the EV case. The EV case makes itself.’
This was echoed by ex-Nissan boss Andy Palmer, who said: ‘I’ve run car companies through fuel price spikes before. What’s different now is the product is ready and the economic argument is persuasive.
‘EVs are simply better cars for most of our needs, and the industry has bet its entire capital base on them. That bet doesn’t get unwound because petrol drops 10p a litre.
‘Demand built on a superior product at price parity and materially lower running costs is not a sugar rush. It’s the market doing what markets do.’
Gurjeet Grewal, CEO, Octopus Electric Vehicles, was also in agreement that EVs today offer a real alternative and that’s what makes this different.
He said: ‘Global instability and petrol price spikes have long gone hand in hand. The difference today is that drivers have an alternative. By switching to electric, they can tap into cheaper, homegrown energy and take greater control of their motoring costs.
‘This isn’t a sugar rush; this is the moment the penny has dropped. EVs are at price parity with petrol cars, and drivers are acting; demand has been rising annually by 30% across the UK. Drivers are switching in droves to a new kind of energy system where transport and energy work together.’
