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By Ekaterina Maksimova and Gleb Stolyarov <\/p>\n
MOSCOW, July 2 (Reuters) – A Moscow car dealership is struggling to keep up with demand for new electric vehicles as drivers look to sidestep \u200ca fuel crisis that has led to long queues and soaring prices across much of \u200cRussia. <\/p>\n
Escalating Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure have squeezed gasoline and diesel supplies in recent weeks, prompting restrictions in most regions. <\/p>\n
Retail \u200bgasoline prices in some areas have climbed to among the highest levels in Europe, according to Reuters calculations. <\/p>\n
Russia’s vast distances, harsh climate, and limited charging network have curbed the growth of its EV market. But the mounting fuel challenges are leading some motorists to make the switch. <\/p>\n
EN Cars, which specialises in Chinese brands, is \u200cselling two to three EVs per \u2060day, compared with two to three a month just a few weeks ago, founder Yevgeniy Zabelin told Reuters on Wednesday. <\/p>\n
“Since the fuel situation became complicated, demand has \u2060grown many times over,” he said, adding that interest was rising in both budget and premium models. <\/p>\n
ACCELERATING SALES <\/p>\n
In the showroom, prospective buyers inspected electric SUVs made by Chinese automaker Geely. <\/p>\n
With fuel prices up more than 12% year-on-year \u200bbetween January \u200band May, demand for EVs was already increasing. <\/p>\n
About 24,600 \u200bnew plug-in hybrids were sold in the \u200cfirst five months of the year, up 125% year-on-year, while sales of new fully electric cars rose 19% to 4,460, according to analytical agency Autostat and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. <\/p>\n
Sales accelerated further in June as fuel shortages hit. Last week, 1,754 new plug-in hybrids were registered, up nearly a third from the previous week and nearly 50% above the average weekly pace this year, according to Autostat chief \u200cSergei Tselikov. <\/p>\n
The number of charging stations in Russia increased 20% \u200bin the year to July 2026, according to digital map \u200bservice 2GIS. <\/p>\n
Sitting in the dealership, customer Vasiliy \u200bsaid he was pleased he had already bought a hybrid and an EV. <\/p>\n
“Especially in \u200cthe current situation, I haven’t had any \u200bproblems at all,” he said \u200bwith a chuckle, though he added he did not expect the general surge in interest to last. <\/p>\n
“I live in a private house in the countryside. I have installed my own charging \u200bstation and charge at home. In \u200cMoscow it is a real problem, to charge properly.” <\/p>\n
EVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for just \u200b4.3% of Russia’s total car sales last year, according to Autostat. <\/p>\n
(Additional reporting by Anastasia \u200bLyrchikova. Writing by Alessandra Prentice. Editing by Mark Potter) <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n