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Electric vehicles using the NRMA’s public EV charging network has seen a significant uptick in past weeks, and online searches for EVs are on the increase, another sign that electric car use and interest is up amid the fuel shortage caused by conflict in the Middle East.
New data from the NRMA EV network shows a 19 per cent increase in usage in the week ending March 22 compared to that week in February. Monday, typically a low use day, also saw a 30 per cent increase, becoming one of the days of the week with the highest utilisation.
"We’ve seen a clear uplift in utilisation, and the network is performing as intended with capacity to support further EV uptake," says Ian Cosgrove, Head of Capital Works and Network Operations. "Our focus is on both disciplined network growth and operational reliability, ensuring Members can rely on consistent, dependable access, particularly during fuel disruption."
The jump in charging use suggests some motorists may be leaning more heavily on EVs where they already own one, rather than taking longer trips in petrol or diesel vehicles.
While EVs are not immune to travel planning challenges, they do remove one of the biggest current pain points: dependence on liquid fuel. The spike in charger use suggests more people are making practical use of plug-in EVs they already own.
In that sense, the current disruption may be acting as a live stress test of Australia’s transport mix, showing where EVs can ease pressure when fuel supply tightens.
The new data comes as NRMA Insurance (IAG) reported it has seen a 15 per cent uptick in enquiries for EV insurance in the last two weeks compared to the same period in February, and carmaker Skoda says it is receiving more enquiries for its range of EVs.
Open Road website usage data also shows a 300 per cent uptick in traffic via organic searches for “electric utes” in the past two weeks compared to the same dates in February, and searches for “electric SUVs” has doubled.
Likewise, keyword trends in Google revealed on Monday a 900 per cent increase for "electric vehicle" and a doubling of searches for "BYD Atto 3".
Online search behaviour can often be an early signal of changing buyer intent, particularly when it lines up with rising running costs and wider concern about fuel supply. While there are more EVs coming in 2026, the rise in electric ute searches is particularly notable given how few fully electric ute options are currently on sale in Australia.
According to The NRMA’s weekly fuel report, average petrol prices in Sydney sit at 229.6 cents per litre (up 70.1 since February’s low point) as of March 16 data, which also showed average diesel prices are sitting at 271.1 centre per litre, up 49.6 cents. In regional areas, petrol prices jumped 29.6c/L while diesel prices jumped 51.2c/L.
This means the cost to fill an 80 litre tank in a Ford Ranger in Sydney has jumped from $177.20 a week ago to $216.88.
My NRMA’s fuel finder can be used to find NRMA and Chargefox EV chargers as well as current fuel costs.
