Electric cars and plug-in hybrids in oil-importing countries avoided the use of about 200 million barrels of crude between March and August 2026, according to energy research group Ember. The analysis values the oil at $20 billion, using average monthly Brent prices during the first six months of the energy crisis linked to the war around the Strait of Hormuz.
China accounted for an estimated $14 billion of the total, while the European Union contributed $3.1 billion, largely through Germany and France. Ember’s calculation represents the value of oil displaced, not the net savings made by drivers or governments. It covers 56 countries that together account for more than 90% of global electric-car sales and over 80% of the overall vehicle market, then extrapolates to a worldwide estimate. Battery-electric vehicles represented $16.5 billion of the avoided oil value, with plug-in hybrids making up the balance.
Global sales of fully electric cars rose 18%, compared with 16% growth a year earlier. Excluding China and the United States, sales increased 45% across the other markets in Ember’s analysis. The report points to oil-supply disruptions and purchase incentives as factors supporting demand in places including India, Chile, Australia and New Zealand.
The shift is also evident in market shares: 15 countries, including Brazil and India, overtook the United States’ 6% share of light-vehicle sales for fully electric cars from January to August. In 49 of the 56 markets studied, the electric share was higher than in the US. These are comparisons of sales proportions, not total units. China’s position is underscored by nine electric models appearing among its ten best-selling cars in August.