Russia EV sales double in summer as motorists face fuel shortages

Sept 7 (Reuters) - New electric vehicle sales in Russia more than doubled over the summer months as shortages caused by Ukrainian attacks on refineries boosted demand for alternatives to cars powered by combustion engines, data from analytical agency Autostat showed.

Sales of new passenger electric or plug-in hybrid cars, which are mainly produced in China, reached 26,543 units in June to August this year, up from 12,187 in the same period of 2025, the data provided to Reuters showed.

Kyiv's strikes on major Russian refineries intensified from early June, forcing some to halt operations and contributing to fuel shortages. Russia's gasoline production had fallen to about 70% of domestic consumption levels by the end of August. 

The shortages forced Russian motorists to spend hours searching for fuel and queuing at gasoline stations, prompting some consumers to consider electric vehicles as an alternative or convert their vehicles to natural gas.

Russia's EV market remains relatively small mainly due to a limited charging network, vast distances and harsh climate. EVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for just 4.3% of Russia's total car sales last year, Autostat said.

EV sales were constrained by supply as manufacturers and importers were caught by surprise by the gasoline shortages, Autostat added.

(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; Editing by Alexander Smith)