<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More Australians are preparing to pull the plug on their petrol cars, with new data revealing a massive 90 percent surge in loans for electric vehicles over the past month.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/petrol-prices" rel="" target="" title="Petrol prices"><span>Petrol prices</span></a><span> have climbed by 30 percent since the war broke out in the Middle East on February 28, strangling the fuel supply routes through the Straight of Hormuz.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With the cost of diesel now well over $3 a litre and the price of unleaded fuel hovering at around $2.20 in major cities, the prolonged pain at the bowser is causing motorists to rethink whether they want to remain at the mercy of rising fuel prices and supply issues.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ben-roberts-smith-charged-alleged-war-crime-murder-gina-rinehart-speaks-out/4dd62981-7fc1-41e2-9422-b661a3303040" rel="" target="" title="Gina Rinehart takes aim over Ben Roberts-Smith charges"><strong><span>Gina Rinehart takes aim over Ben Roberts-Smith charges</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to non-bank lender MONEYME, applications for its Autopay EV loans nearly doubled between February and March 2026.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, the shift isn't just a monthly blip, with EV demand surging 270 per cent year-on-year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, the appetite for traditional fuel-only vehicles has plummeted, dropping 22 per cent in the last month alone.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/loans-for-electric-cars-surge-90-percent-in-one-month-amid-fuel-crisis/4322fd87-4e92-4680-99d2-3c9753d56603" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"What is notable is the speed of change," Clayton Howes, CEO of MONEYME said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"A 90 per cent increase in a single month indicates that external shocks, including fuel shortages and price spikes, are accelerating decisions that may otherwise have taken years."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Demand for hybrid vehicles has also risen with the fin-tech lender, climbing 44 per cent year-on-year, and 9 per cent in the last month.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The shift in sentiment towards electric cars is echoed in </span><a href="http://carsales.com.au"><span>carsales.com.au</span></a><span> data, which showed searches for electric vehicles on the platform tripled in March compared to late February.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to the carsales data, 55 per cent of Australians would now consider purchasing an EV—a massive jump from the 35 per cent recorded only last November. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Australians are responding directly to fuel price volatility and supply uncertainty," Howes added. "Access to finance is becoming a key enabler as more Australians move to secure vehicles that reduce their exposure to fuel price risk."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>