Google searches for electric cars surge amid fuel crisis
New research from Uswitch has found a 91% increase in Google searches for electric vehicles following the nationwide fuel issues.
The data found that, as of the morning of 28th September, there have been 91% more searches for electric cars over the past 24 hours, with drivers in Cheshire searching the most.
Alternative research commissioned by carguide.co.uk found that online searches for electric cars saw a 1500% increase on the day the apparent fuel shortage was reported.
The searches follow the news of long queues outside fuel stations, as motorists looked to fill up on petrol and diesel due to a shortage of lorry drivers. Fuel stations had begun to ration the supply of petrol and diesel, and most recently, Government ministers have ordered the deployment of soldiers to distribute petrol and diesel
A spokesperson for carguide.co.uk said: “It’s interesting to see how a shortage in fuel for petrol and diesel cars at the petrol stations can cause such a massive hike in online searches for electric cars across the country.
“This trend will likely continue, as more and more people become conscious of their viability, and almost every major manufacturer is committed to electrifying their vehicle portfolio – with the electric car ranges and capabilities increasing almost exponentially as new models come to market.”
The rise in searches also coincides with an increase in sales and registrations for electric vehicles, with the most recent figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showing sales for battery electric vehicles growing by 32.2%, with hybrid and plug-in hybrids also increasing by 45.7% and 72.1% respectively.
