Electric vehicles (EVs) have been riding an unprecedented wave of popularity in the wake of the global oil crisis sparked by the conflict in the Middle East.
In Australia, sales jumped over 150% in April year-on-year, while in the Asia Pacific region they rose 80% for the first three months of 2026 — excluding China, where massive sales growth has plateaued. Around 75% more EVs were sold in Latin America, and almost a third more in Europe, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
IEA executive director Fatih Birol said in May that record EV sales are "providing some relief now amid the largest oil supply shock in history," and that falling battery prices will provide further industry momentum.
Still, batteries, by far the most expensive component, also remain a major chink in the electric car armory. EV critics have long argued that electric car batteries, made mostly with lithium-ion, can combust, and that fires are more difficult to extinguish than in petrol cars. But this claim discounts the fact that combustion engines are much more prone to fires.
Large, heavy EV batteries have also been targeted as a potential source of increasing road damage. Yet experts counter that large trunks are by far the biggest culprit when it comes to highway wear and tear.
