<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Searches for electric vehicles on a major national car sales website have tripled in the last month, as Australians look for ways to avoid soaring </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/petrol-prices" rel="" target="" title="petrol prices"><span>petrol prices</span></a><span> and fears of a looming </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/fuel" rel="" target="" title="fuel"><span>fuel</span></a><span> shortage.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With diesel approaching $3 a litre and the price of unleaded not far behind, Australians are being punished at the bowser, while some petrol stations are running out of fuel altogether.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Long seen as too expensive to buy or maintain, electric vehicles are now being seen as viable options, especially in the uncertainty of the price of oil during the ongoing Middle East conflict, as well as concerns about climate change.</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>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-march-24-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines/a6d7c67d-9a69-4279-88eb-985ccda7fb13" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump postpones strikes on Iranian energy sites</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Data obtained by </span><a href="http://nine.com.au" rel="" target="" title="nine.com.au"><span>nine.com.au</span></a><span> shows that searches for electric vehicles on the </span><a href="http://carsales.com.au" rel="" target="" title="carsales.com.au"><span>carsales.com.au</span></a><span> website have almost tripled this month compared to late February.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than half of Australians (55 per cent) would now consider purchasing an electric vehicle, up from just over one in three last November, according to the carsales data.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>With over 1.2 million searches for electric vehicle listings on the major website, experts say the current fuel crisis has got Australians rethinking their perception of electric vehicles.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/rising-fuel-prices-more-australians-turning-to-electric-cars/7aa68b0c-2ded-4ac2-ab96-cd99046b444b" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Cost of living is front of mind for many households, and fuel is a big part of that," Carsales' Ross Booth said.</span></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/fuel-crisis-australia-consumer-watchdog-monitoring-cost-domestic-flights-airfares-set-to-soar/1c463131-55ab-46d5-bc70-d09b5da33d26" target="_blank"><strong><span>Australia's consumer watchdog warns airlines are being monitored as domestic flight prices set to soar</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"When petrol prices climb, people naturally start exploring alternatives and doing more homework on electric and more fuel‑efficient vehicles.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A study from Canstar found electric vehicles cost around $500 a year to recharge, compared to a petrol car which costs around $2500 a year to fill up, though this was before the current spike in petrol prices.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The data shows this isn't just a curious glance from beyond, with insurance figures showing Aussies are putting their money where their mouth is.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Data released by the NRMA at the beginning of the Middle East conflict saw a five per cent increase in electric vehicle insurance quote requests in the first two weeks of March compared to the same time period in February.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That is up 56 per cent from last year.</span></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/world/donald-trump-iran-updates-oil-futures-trade-suspicious-betting-activity-usa-world-news/1061ef6b-5fef-401c-b469-98016ccdb9c3" target="_blank"><strong><span>Minutes before Trump's announcement, $800 million in trades made on oil prices</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>NRMA's Shawn Ticehurst said it reflects the current climate, but suggests it is a longer trend that shows shifting attitudes.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We're seeing attitudes shift as more EV models become available and drivers weigh up the long-term cost of fuel," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Concerns about expensive EV repairs and insurance are beginning to shift."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Carsales' data also reflects this, with interest and searches in electric vehicles on their website growing from a base of 30 per cent in November 2024.</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" 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