Electric vehicle fleets in oil-importing countries replaced an estimated USD 20 billion worth of oil consumption between March and August 2026. In 49 of the 56 countries monitored, the share of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in new vehicle sales reached a record high, according to a report published by the Ember think tank.
Electrification is becoming a tool for mitigating the impact of fuel crises and attracting industrial investment. For Poland, which imports almost all the oil it consumes, it should be one of the priorities for energy security. Yet BEVs accounted for just 5.1% of new passenger car registrations in Poland between January and August, compared with 21.7% across the EU.
-Poland imports almost all the oil it consumes, while reducing demand for transport fuels significantly more slowly than most of Europe. Delaying decarbonisation prolongs our dependence on countries that control conventional energy resources. The Ember report shows that countries that invested in electromobility earlier are now better protected against crises. Electrifying transport should be one of Poland’s energy security priorities, supported by tangible market incentives, accessible charging infrastructure and domestically generated energy,” says Aleksander Rajch, Vice-President of PSNM and Vice-President of E-Mobility Europe.
More Than One Million Barrels of Oil per Day Displaced by Electrification
The report “Electric Energy Security: How EVs Are Reducing Oil Import Vulnerabilities” examines the role of existing fleets of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) during the first six months of the crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war with Iran and disruptions to oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Ember, these fleets displaced approximately 200 million barrels of oil equivalent in oil-importing countries. Over the March–August period, this translates into an average of more than one million barrels per day. Ember estimates the value of this effect at USD 20 billion.
China recorded the highest value of displaced oil, at approximately USD 14 billion. EU member states accounted for a further USD 3.1 billion. Germany and France achieved the largest impact within the EU, at approximately USD 760 million and USD 560 million, respectively. In the United Kingdom, the figure reached around USD 790 million, while ASEAN member states collectively accounted for approximately USD 560 million, primarily driven by Thailand and Vietnam.
Record BEV Market Shares in 49 Countries
Electromobility is not limited to the world’s two largest markets. Excluding China and the United States, sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rose by approximately 45% year on year between January and August. In 49 of the 56 countries monitored by Ember, BEVs reached a record share of new vehicle sales year to date. This points to a transition spreading across an increasing number of regions worldwide, including markets where electric cars previously had only a limited presence.
Norway recorded a 98% BEV share of new car sales in the first eight months of the year. In Uruguay, the figure reached 38%, making the country a leader in Latin America. In twelve monitored countries, fully electric cars accounted for more than one-third of sales. These included not only European countries but also Nepal, Singapore, Vietnam and China.
As recently as 2024, BEVs accounted for just 2% of new car sales in India. In 2026, their share exceeded the US figure of 6% every month from April onwards. Japan, which had long been among the markets slower to adopt fully electric vehicles, also doubled its BEV sales.
The Ember report identifies India, Chile, Australia and New Zealand as markets where BEV sales accelerated significantly after March 2026. This was partly driven by growing pressure on consumers from rising fuel prices. Other important factors included declining technology costs, the introduction of new models and the importance of stable public policies. The crisis therefore accelerated a process that had already begun in many markets.
Market Support Goes Hand in Hand with Industrial Investment
The report links growing demand with industrial policy. It highlights France, where a social leasing scheme helped BEVs surpass a 30% market share, and Germany, which introduced new purchase incentives at the beginning of the year. In South Korea, the K-Mobility Global Leadership strategy, adopted in late 2025, combined support for domestic manufacturers’ competitiveness with measures to stimulate the domestic market. BEV sales doubled, bringing their share close to one-quarter of new car sales.
At the same time, countries are developing their own manufacturing capabilities. Tata and Mahindra together accounted for more than 60% of EV sales in India in the first half of 2026. In Vietnam, VinFast produced the country’s best-selling car in 2025 and expanded its operations with facilities in India and Indonesia. In Brazil, BYD is developing a manufacturing plant whose production capacity is expected to increase to 300,000 vehicles per year. Mexico, meanwhile, announced Olinia, a domestic automotive brand planning to begin production of a small electric car in 2027.
Europe is also expanding its range of affordable models. New models from Renault, Volkswagen and Škoda are an important driver of growth in the European market; in July, they ranked among the continent’s best-selling electric cars. The lesson for Poland is the importance of linking industrial development with demand: the domestic market, supplier expertise and technological advancement should reinforce one another in parallel.
Electrification Should Be One of Poland’s Energy Security Priorities: 10 Recommendations and KOMPAS 2035 Set Out a Path Forward for Poland
Electrification is changing the nature of dependence on raw materials. The strategic benefits increase as domestic energy sources that do not require imported fuels are developed. Transport transformation must therefore go hand in hand with investment in energy generation, grids, storage and smart charging.
Following KNM 2026, PSNM presented 10 recommendations for the market and the economy. The fifth explicitly calls for mobility to be linked with energy security. Its implementation should be supported by predictable funding for the BEV market, social leasing to reduce transport exclusion, tax incentives, and affordable, accessible charging. For Poland, electrifying heavily used vehicle fleets, public transport and the transport, shipping and logistics (TSL) sector is also particularly important, given their significant exposure to fluctuations in diesel prices.
“Hostile information operations may exploit concerns about electromobility to undermine support for the transition. EU analyses document such mechanisms in the energy sector, including attempts to challenge supply diversification in Poland. We should take this seriously, explain the facts accurately and, at the same time, address the real problems faced by drivers, including vehicle prices, charging costs and infrastructure availability,” adds Aleksander Rajch, Vice-President of PSNM and Vice-President of E-Mobility Europe.
The industry strategy “MotoryzacjaPL – KOMPAS 2035” links the development of the domestic market with industrial transformation. It covers, among other areas, renewable energy sources (RES) and local energy hubs for manufacturing facilities, energy cost stabilisation, battery technologies, recycling-related skills, the domestic charging industry and cybersecurity. The EMP project should strengthen Polish suppliers and technological capabilities, while the Polish Mobility Code should translate these strengths into practical implementation. The examples in the report illustrate why manufacturing, the market and energy policy should form a coherent agenda.
According to PSNM, progress in the transition should also be measured by the volume of fuel displaced, the resilience of vehicle fleets during crises, and the share of domestic energy and technology used to support them. Every additional year of delay postpones these benefits and prolongs the exposure of households, businesses and the state to future fuel price shocks.
