Russian EV sales double as Ukrainian refinery strikes drive fuel shortages
By Eve
Electrified vehicle sales in Russia rose from 43,000 in January to August 2025 to more than 83,000 in the same period of 2026, according to the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, with plug in vehicles reaching 11.5 percent market share by mid 2026, up from around 5 percent at the start of the year. The New York Times reports that Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries have caused widespread fuel shortages, prompting drivers to switch to Chinese EVs and hybrids as petrol queues stretch for hours.
Why it matters
The surge shows how geopolitical disruption can accelerate EV adoption in unexpected markets, with Chinese manufacturers capturing demand where Western brands have withdrawn. For charge point operators, Russia's 11.5 percent plug in share now exceeds the US figure, signalling potential infrastructure procurement despite sanctions and supply chain constraints.
Source
- Source
- https://chargedevs.com/newswire/russians-snap-up-chinese-evs-as-ukrainian-attacks-make-fuel-scarce/
- Original title
- “Russians snap up Chinese EVs as Ukrainian attacks make fuel scarce”
- Published
- 12 October 2026
- Updated
- 13 October 2026
In this story
- Topic
- Electric Vehicles
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