After Ukrainian drone attacks, demand for electric vehicles in Russia nearly doubled - NYT
Kyiv • UNN
Sales of electric vehicles and hybrids in Russia rose to 83,000 in January–August. The reason was a gasoline shortage following attacks by Ukrainian drones.
Demand for electric vehicles in Russia has nearly doubled after Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries. This is reported by The New York Times, reports UNN.
Details
According to the publication, Russian automotive expert Sergey Tselikov owned more than 20 cars, but in July he bought a Chinese electric hatchback after experiencing problems with the availability of gasoline at filling stations.
I tried to refuel one of my cars and drove to the five nearest filling stations, but they had only diesel fuel or lower-quality gasoline
According to available data, the number of electric vehicles sold in Russia, including hybrids, rose from 43,000 between January and August 2025 to more than 83,000 over the same period this year.
As Ukraine increasingly brings the war to Russia, the consequences may be most visible on the roads. Since the end of June, Russia’s electric vehicle market has more than doubled. Most electric vehicles sold in the country are Chinese, signaling an economic shift. Russia is trying to catch up
According to the publication, Tselikov had to act quickly, as the price of a vehicle manufactured by Great Wall Motor rose by approximately $2,000 within a few days due to a sharp increase in demand.
According to Avtostat, an automotive industry research agency headed by Mr. Tselikov, by the end of September, the share of fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars that can operate without gasoline had reached 11.5% of the Russian automotive market, compared with approximately 5% at the beginning of the year. Russia’s electric vehicle market share is now slightly higher than that of the United States, but it is only a small fraction of China’s share, which stands at 45%. Although the surge in the popularity of electric vehicles in Russia is driven by a specific factor — Ukrainian attacks — this shift is the latest example there of how war and supply disruptions can quickly alter car-buying decisions
We remind you
In many regions of Russia, the shortage of gasoline and diesel fuel is deepening. Drivers are complaining of a critical shortage and recording appeals to Putin.