In a stunning display of cause and effect that economists will surely study for decades, Australians have decided that when petrol prices spike, maybe - just maybe - it's time to consider an electric or hybrid vehicle. New data shows that in the three months from April to June, almost half of all new cars sold were electric, plug-in hybrid, or hybrid, with EV sales doubling in the wake of the peak fuel price crisis.

The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) released its latest EV Index, revealing that record market shares for EVs (21.03%) and plug-in hybrids (10.58%) coincided with the period of fuel price instability. Sales of battery electric vehicles more than doubled from 34,435 in the first quarter to 69,414 in the second quarter of 2026 - the largest-ever quarterly rise for EVs, according to the AAA.

Meanwhile, traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles saw their market share plummet from 64.23% to 50.84%, the lowest ever recorded and the biggest quarterly drop on record. To put that in perspective, when the AAA started tracking this in 2022, ICE vehicles accounted for nine out of ten sales. Now they're barely holding on to half. It's almost as if people don't enjoy paying $2 a litre for fuel.

And speaking of $2 a litre, fuel prices are again on track to hit that milestone, as the federal government's fuel excise reductions - introduced on 30 March to offset the ongoing Middle East crisis - come to an end on Sunday. Yes, the same crisis that peaked in March, disrupted key supply routes, and apparently gave Australians a collective epiphany about their vehicular choices.

The AAA notes that hybrid sales also hit an all-time high, but they were overtaken by the EV surge. Because why settle for a compromise when you can go full electric and watch your fuel bill shrink to the size of a postage stamp?