Article Summary
- Ritu Chandy, Head of the BMW Group Sales Region Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East, has heard from dealers there is growing interest for EVs.
- Rising gasoline and diesel prices are prompting buyers to switch to electric.
- EVs had a 17.9% share in total BMW Group sales last year.
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has global repercussions. Even if you don’t own a car, rising fuel prices are disrupting the supply chain, making goods more expensive to ship around the world. These higher costs are inevitably passed on to customers, so nearly everyone feels the impact.
Drivers, meanwhile, are facing astronomical gas prices firsthand every time they stop at the pump. BMW is noticing a shift in buyer behavior, with growing interest in electric vehicles. Just over a month after Iranian authorities restricted oil tanker access through the Strait of Hormuz, more people are willing to switch to EVs and reduce their dependence on oil.
Ritu Chandy, Head of the BMW Group Sales Region Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, told Carsales magazine that EVs are gaining traction. Well, even more so than usual. She added that this shift in perception extends beyond BMW customers and is being felt across the broader auto industry.
“We are definitely seeing that in incoming orders and in the foot traffic [to dealers]. I was just in Australia, and last weekend, the Australian dealers said every customer who walked through the door was more interested in an EV than otherwise.”
There’s a great deal of uncertainty about the future. Whether the conflict will end in days, weeks, or months remains unclear. Even once the Strait of Hormuz is fully accessible again, gas prices are unlikely to drop overnight. In the meantime, prices continue to rise, and that’s not the only concern.
Fuel supply insecurities have already emerged in some parts of the world, and the situation could worsen before it improves. Reduced reliance on fossil fuels is prompting some new-car shoppers to reconsider their options and move toward EVs. However, it’s still too early to say whether this will be the tipping point.
Given the challenging global context, it’s reasonable to expect EVs to claim a larger share of total sales this year. BMW Group reported that EVs accounted for 17.9% of shipments in 2025 across the BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce brands. With iX3 deliveries finally underway and the i3 arriving shortly, it wouldn’t be surprising if one in five cars sold this year lacks a combustion engine.
