Russia has a vast territory and a harsh climate. Additionally, its limited charging infrastructure has always hindered the development of its electric vehicle market. However, the increasingly severe challenges related to fuel are driving some drivers towards electric vehicles.
According to Reuters report on July 3rd, in recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, leading to shortages of gasoline and diesel supplies. This has prompted most regions to implement restrictions. It is estimated that the retail prices of gasoline in some areas have risen to among the highest levels in Europe.
In this situation, a car dealership located in Moscow is struggling to cope with the strong demand from consumers for new electric vehicles in China.
EN Cars company founder Ye Fengni Zhudelin specializes in selling Chinese brand cars. He says the company currently sells 2 to 3 electric cars daily, while just a few weeks ago, monthly sales were only 2 to 3. He adds: "Since the fuel market has become complex, demand has grown by several times." He also notes that consumer interest is rising across economy and luxury car models.
According to Sergei Udalov, executive director of the analysis firm Autostat, sales of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars are increasing, but the base volume remains low. This is due to manufacturers and importers being unprepared for this fuel crisis, as well as insufficient inventory.
But he said that if the crisis continues, there will be a significant increase in the sales of electric vehicles in the near future, and Chinese automakers will be the main beneficiaries.
According to Autostat statistics, the most popular electric and hybrid vehicle brands in Russia are produced by Chinese manufacturers such as Geely, Dongfeng, GAC, and Chery. The electric vehicle brand with the highest local production in Russia is Evolute, which is manufactured using assembly kits provided by Dongfeng.
Data shows that in the first five months of this year, Russia sold approximately 24,600 new plug-in hybrid vehicles, a 125% increase from previous years. The sales of all-new electric vehicles increased by 19%, reaching 4,460 units. With the emergence of fuel shortages, sales accelerated further in June.
