By Jeffrey A. Newman Esq.
Increasing prices in Europe are causing car buyers to purchase electric vehicles in a record-breaking March, according to data consultants Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. BMI said registrations, an indicator for sales, of new battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars rose 3% year on year globally to over 1.7 million cars, with a 37% jump in Europe to a monthly all-time high of almost 540,000 EVs sold. Higher pump prices are increasing interest in EVs and hybrids—search and shopper data in early 2026 show a measurable uptick when US gas prices jump. Analysts do anticipate a lift in US EV and especially hybrid adoption if high gas prices persist.
Since Iran war, the current US national average for regular gasoline is roughly 4.10–4.20 dollars per gallon, up about 0.90–1.10 dollars from pre‑war levels near 3.00 dollars. AAA data cited in late March and early April puts the national average around 4.01–4.16 dollars per gallon for regular gas.That is up from about 2.98 dollars per gallon just before US–Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, roughly a 24–30% jump in a few weeks.
US automakers will likely shift more decisively toward EVs if a combination of regulation, economics, competition, and technology make sticking with ICE more dangerous than moving to electric. When total cost of ownership (fuel plus maintenance plus depreciation) clearly favors EVs by a wide margin—especially if gas sustains 4+ dollars per gallon—automakers follow where profitable demand goes. If used‑EV resale values stabilize and approach ICE residuals, it reduces leasing risk and makes volume EV programs less balance‑sheet‑intensive. Dense, reliable fast‑charging networks—helped by 500,000‑charger federal targets and utility investment—cut one of the main consumer objections, which in turn pulls automakers toward EV lineups.
Increased gas prices are already causing U.S. OEMs to shift towards EV programs. Analysts report internal discussions about extending existing EV nameplates, reviving shelved programs, or at least keeping optionality alive rather than fully exiting segments.
Jeffrey Newman, JD, MBA, is a whistleblower lawyer whose firm represents healthcare fraud whistleblowers and whistleblowers reporting violations of export controls, tariff evasion, money laundering, and other WB cases. Mr. Newman and his staff also represent many physician whistleblowers in healthcare fraud cases. Whistleblower laws in the U.S. allow individuals with information about export control violations or tariff fraud to report it under the False Claims Act. The Firm’s website is www.JeffNewmanLaw.com. Attorney Newman can be reached at Jeff@Jeffnewmanlaw.com or at 978-880-4758. For other blogs, see: http://JeffNewmanLaw.com
