Will they or won’t they? Online searches for electric vehicles exploded after February 28, when US President Donald Trump launched his flailing disaster of a war against Iran. The big question is whether or not EV-curious car shoppers will actually put up the cash for a zero emission ride, or are they just keeping themselves busy until the fuel price shock of today becomes a memory of the past. Online EV Searches Have Spiked The leading UK online marketplace Autotrader is among the online marketplaces seeing a significant spike in searches. On March 24, the company reported that leads for new EVs were up a healthy 28%, with used EVs following at a record-setting pace of 19.5% for five years old or under. “Fuel prices are still below 2022 extremes but triggering behavioural change: surging interest suggests concerns about future energy security/instability/price shocks are driving behaviour,” Autotrader notes. Autotrader Chief Customs Officer Ian Plummer emphasizes that the increase is all the more significant because of the fact that fuel prices are still lower in the UK — for now — than the surge of 2022 following the initial years of the COVID-19 pandemic. That 2022 price shock also led to an increased interest in electric cars. “This isn’t just about price, it’s about confidence,” Plummer emphasizes. “When people feel that traditional fuel is vulnerable to global events, the appeal of electric becomes far stronger so the conflict is acting as a significant catalyst for EV interest across the UK market.” Still, Plummer cautions that inquiries don’t necessarily lead to a permanent rise in sales. Leads on Autotrader previously peaked in 2022, but the uptick was not permanent. The Charging Station Factor In Plummer’s view, if interest in EVs is to be sustained past the immediate impact of Trump’s war, zero emission stakeholders have to work harder to convince car buyers that “electric cars can fit their lifestyles.” That can mean many things. One of those things is the public EV charging experience, which has improved significantly since 2022. Despite Trump’s largely successful effort to slow the momentum of the vehicle electrification movement in the US, the cat is already out of the bag. Private sector stakeholders continued to launch new public charging stations at a a frenzied pace even after Trump took office last year, and Trump’s catastrophic decision to launch a full scale war in Iran gives them all the more reason to keep it up (see more charging station background here). The driver experience has also improved since 2022, as charging stakeholders develop more user-friendly payment systems and provide a more welcoming environment, while putting more effort into ensuring reliability. General Motors’ Cadillac branch has been one of the few bright spots for EV sales in the US since Trump and his Republican allies in Congress eliminated the all-important federal EV tax credit last September, and the company cites the charging station build-out as one of two primary reasons for optimism over future sales. “GM is well-positioned for the next phase of EV growth, which will be driven by product appeal and continued expansion of the public charging infrastructure,” the company noted in its Q1 2026 report. Utilities Hold The Key The US decarbonization consultancy CLEAResult offers an additional insight into the difference between 2022 and 2026. More utilities are adjusting their rate schedules around EV charging, and online fuel savings calculators have become more sophisticated over the past four years, with the company’s ChooseEV calculator providing an example. The calculator provides granular, up-to-date information on utility rates as well as fuel prices tailored to a driver’s area, along with other useful information. CLEAResult launched in 2003 on a mission to accelerate the carbon neutral economy of the future. The company brought the educational and market awareness firm ChooseEV under its wing in 2022. “ChooseEV’s expertise will empower even more consumers to compare costs and emissions, identify incentives and ultimately make the decision to switch an easy one,” CLEAResult explained in a press statement announcing the deal. Along with the acquisition, ChooseEV founder Ben Yenter also came to CLEAResult. Yenter posted an entry on the company’s blog on April 2 of this year, focusing attention on the sophisticated online calculator of today and the role of utilities in matching drivers — and fleet managers — with electric vehicles that fit their lifestyle, budget, and/or business model. “There’s a critical moment happening right now that some utilities are missing. As gas prices spike, customers are heading online to ask: ‘Is there an electric vehicle that fits my driving needs?’ and ‘What are my estimated fuel cost savings if I switch to an EV?,'” Yenter wrote. Citing Edmunds, Yenter noted that EVs already accounted for a healthy 20.7% of all vehicle researches in the US as Trump launched his war, and the figure rose to 22.4% by early March. Visits to the CLEAResult ChooseEV online savings calculator also jumped, spiking more than 425% from March 1 to March 31. As with Plummer, though, Yenter cautions that research activity alone does not indicate sustained, forward momentum in the vehicle electrification movement. “Interest alone doesn’t drive adoption. The real barrier is confusion,” Yenter emphasized. “Consumers and businesses want to know if going electric will really save them money — in their location, given their utility rates.” The Trump Factor Between charging stations and access to reliable information on fuel savings, the environment for switching from gas to electric is much more favorable now than it was in 2022. In terms of immediate result, though, Wards Auto offers a note of caution. Reporter Jim Henry observes that while “gas prices can change quickly, it can take several months before consumer behavior gets seriously affected,” citing Cox Automotive chief economist Jeremy Robb. If gas and diesel prices begin to slide back down soon, EV-curious car shoppers may decide to stick with conventional fuel. However, the conditions for a drop in fuel prices have also changed between 2022 and 2026. When the 2022 fuel price spike occurred, the Oval Office was occupied by a responsible, experienced public servant. Former President Joe Biden was a strong advocate for vehicle electrification, but he also provided reassurance that the fossil fuel crisis of 2022 would pass, just like so many others before them. In contrast, Trump is a blithering, law-breaking maniac who provides no such confidence in the future. As the majority party in both the House and Senate, the Republican members of Congress could exercise their Constitutional authority to remove Trump from office at any time. However, they prefer to gleefully lap up whatever bile he spits out, up to and including his social media message to Iran — and the world — on Easter Sunday: “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH!” With the President of the United States channeling the full power of his office into the delusional action movie he-man fantasy of an eight-year-old, there really is no reassurance that fuel prices — or anything else, for that matter — will revert to a normal state for years to come, not mere months. All the more reason to go electric sooner rather than later… Photo: Now that fuel prices have gone through the roof, online EV cost calculators like CLEAResult’s ChooseEV are seeing a spike in page views (screenshot courtesy of CLEAResult).
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