One Stat Illustrates Worldwide Rise in EVs

Drivers around the world spooked by rising gas prices are embracing electric vehicles like never before, a New York Times analysis suggests. One stat illustrates the surge: Electric vehicles are expected to make up 29% of new car sales worldwide this year, up from 4% in 2020. The effect is seen all over: EV sales in South Africa rose fivefold in the first half of 2026 compared to the same stretch last year, and they've doubled in nations including Australia, Colombia, and South Korea since the US-Iran war began.

The worldwide numbers are up even with declines in world EV leader China, thanks to a weakening economy and reduced subsidies, and the US, thanks largely to a phased-out tax credit. Governments elsewhere from Ireland to Chile are piling on incentives, while inexpensive Chinese models dominate EV imports in markets including Indonesia and Argentina. Analysts say a drop in oil prices could cool demand, but they expect falling battery costs to keep electric cars gaining ground over time. Read the full story.