It has been a bumpy road for the electric vehicle market as declining federal support and plateauing public interest have eaten away at sales.
But EV sellers could soon receive a boost from an unexpected source: The war in Iran is pushing up gas prices.
As Americans look to save money at the pump, more will consider switching to an electric or hybrid vehicle. Average gas prices in the U.S. have risen nearly 17% since Feb. 28 to reach $3.48 per gallon. In California, the average is $5.20 per gallon.
Electric vehicles are pricier than gasoline-powered cars and charging them isnt cheap with current electricity prices, but sky-high gas prices can tip the scales for consumers deciding which kind of vehicle to buy next.
We probably will see an uptick in EV adoption and particularly hybrid adoption if gas prices stay high, said Sam Abuelsamid, an auto analyst at Telemetry Agency. The last time we had oil prices top $100 per barrel was early 2022 and thats when we saw EV sales really start to pick up in the U.S.
In a 2022 AAA survey, 77% of respondents said saving money on gas was their primary motivator for purchasing an electric vehicle. That year, 25% of survey respondents said they were likely or very likely to purchase an EV.
As oil prices cooled, the number fell to16% in 2025.
In California, annual sales of new light-duty zero-emission vehicles jumped 43% in 2022, according to the states Energy Commission. The market share of zero-emission vehicles among all light-duty vehicles sold rose from 12% in 2021 to 19% in 2022.
Prior to 2022, we didnt really have EVs available when we had oil price shocks, Abuelsamid said. But every time we did, it coincided with a move toward more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Dealers are anticipating a windfall.
Brian Maas, president of the California New Car Dealers Assn., predicted enthusiasm for EVs will rebound across California if oil prices dont come down.
If prior gasoline price spikes are any indication, you tend to see interest in more fuel-efficient vehicles, he said.
Rising gas prices could be a lifeline for EV makers at a time when federal support for green cars has been declining.
Under President Trump, a federal $7,500 tax incentive for new electric vehicles was eliminated in September, along with a $4,000 incentive for used electric vehicles.
In California, the zero-emission vehicle share of the total new-vehicle market was 22% through the first 10 months of 2025, then dropped sharply to 12% in the last two months of the year, according to the California Auto Outlook.
Meanwhile Tesla, the most popular EV brand in the country, has grappled with an implosion of its reputation with some consumers after its chief executive, Elon Musk, became one of Trumps most vocal supporters and helped run the controversial Department of Government Efficiency.
Over the last several months, Ford, General Motors and Stellantis have pared back EV ambitions.
Other automakers, including Nissan, announced plans to stop producing their more affordable electric models.
The Trump administration has moved to roll back federal fuel economy standards and revoked Californias permission to implement a ban on new gas-powered car sales by 2035.
David Reichmuth, a researcher with the Clean Transportation program in the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the shift in production plans will affect EV availability, even if demand surges.
That could keep people from switching to cleaner vehicles regardless of higher gas prices.
This is a transition that we need to make for both public health and to try to slow the damage from global warming, whether or not the price of gasoline is $3 or $5 or $6 a gallon, he said.
According to Cox Automotive, new EV sales nationally were down 41% in November from a year earlier. Used EV sales were down 14% year over year that month.
To be sure, oil prices can fluctuate wildly in times of uncertainty. It will take time for consumers to decide on new purchases.
Brian Kim, who manages used car sales at Ford of Downtown LA, said he has yet to see a jump in the number of people interested in EVs, hybrids or more fuel-efficient gas-powered engines.
Still, if the price at the pump stays stuck above its current level, it could happen soon.
Once the gas prices hit six [dollars per gallon] or more and people feel it in their pocket, maybe things will start to change, he said.
电动汽车市场的发展之路可谓崎岖不平，由于联邦政府支持力度减弱以及公众兴趣趋于平缓，销量持续下滑。
但电动汽车销售商可能很快会从一个意想不到的来源获得提振：伊朗战争正在推高汽油价格。
随着美国民众寻求在加油站节省开支，越来越多人开始考虑转向电动车或混合动力汽车。自2月28日以来，美国平均汽油价格已上涨近17%，达到每加仑3.48美元。而加利福尼亚州的平均油价更高，为每加仑5.20美元。
尽管电动汽车售价高于燃油车，且当前电价下充电成本并不低廉，但飙升的油价可能成为消费者选购下一辆车时的决定性因素。
Telemetry机构汽车分析师萨姆·阿布尔萨米德表示：“如果油价持续居高不下，我们可能会看到电动汽车、尤其是混合动力汽车的采用率上升。上一次油价突破每桶100美元是在2022年初，当时美国的电动汽车销量确实开始显著增长。”
美国汽车协会（AAA）2022年调查显示，77%的受访者表示节省燃油费用是他们购买电动汽车的主要动机。同年，25%的受访者表示他们可能或非常可能购买电动车。
随着油价回落，这一数字在2025年降至16%。
根据加州能源委员会的数据，2022年该州轻型零排放汽车的年销量激增43%。零排放汽车在所有售出轻型汽车中的市场份额从2021年的12%上升至2022年的19%。
阿布埃尔萨米德表示：“在2022年之前，油价飙升时我们实际上并没有电动汽车可用。但每次油价上涨，都会促使人们转向更节能的汽车。”
交易商们正期待着一笔意外之财。
加州新车经销商协会主席布赖恩·马斯预测，如果油价不下降，加州各地对电动车的热情将会回升。
他表示：“如果以往的汽油价格上涨可以作为参考，你会发现人们对更节能的车辆产生了兴趣。”
在联邦政府对绿色汽车支持力度减弱的当下，不断上涨的油价或将成为电动汽车制造商的救命稻草。
在特朗普总统执政期间，联邦政府于9月取消了对新电动汽车7500美元的税收优惠，同时取消了二手电动汽车4000美元的补贴。
根据《加州汽车展望》报告，2025年前10个月，零排放汽车占加州新车市场总销量的22%，但在最后两个月骤降至12%。
与此同时，作为该国最受欢迎的电动汽车品牌，特斯拉在首席执行官埃隆·马斯克成为特朗普最直言不讳的支持者之一，并协助运营备受争议的政府效率部门后，其声誉在部分消费者中遭遇了严重崩塌。
过去几个月里，福特、通用汽车和斯特兰蒂斯集团纷纷缩减了电动汽车领域的雄心壮志。
包括日产（Nissan）在内的其他汽车制造商宣布，将停止生产价格更亲民的电动车型。
特朗普政府已着手放宽联邦燃油经济性标准，并撤销了加利福尼亚州到2035年禁止销售新型燃油车的许可。
忧思科学家联盟清洁交通项目研究员戴维·赖克穆斯表示，即便电动汽车需求激增，生产计划的调整仍将影响其供应量。
即便油价上涨，这种情况仍可能阻碍人们转向更清洁的车辆。
他表示："无论汽油价格是每加仑3美元、5美元还是6美元，为了公共健康并减缓全球变暖带来的破坏，我们都必须完成这一转型。"
考克斯汽车公司数据显示，11月全国新能源汽车销量同比下降41%，当月二手车市场新能源车型销量同比下滑14%。
诚然，在充满不确定性的时期，油价可能出现剧烈波动。消费者需要时间来决定是否进行新的采购。
福特汽车洛杉矶市中心分公司的二手车销售经理布莱恩·金（Brian Kim）表示，目前尚未发现对电动汽车、混合动力车或更节能燃油发动机感兴趣的人数激增。
不过，如果油价持续维持在目前水平之上，这种情况可能很快就会发生。
“一旦油价涨到每加仑6美元甚至更高，人们切身感受到经济压力时，或许转机就会出现。”他说道。
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