AutoTrader Says Fuel Crunch Puts Diesel Vehicle Sales Under Pressure As South Africans Look To Electric Alternatives

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The unintended consequence of South Africa’s fuel crunch may be doing what the prevailing local environment that lacks supportive policy and incentives has long struggled to achieve: pushing more motorists to consider electric vehicles over diesel. In the absence of incentives for battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and in a year which saw the overall market reach levels not seen in well over a decade, BEV sales were unfortunately down 17% in South Africa in 2025. BEV sales were already very low, and one had hoped sales would kick in following years of decent growth, albeit from a very small base.

While 596,818 vehicles were sold in South Africa in 2025 in the overall market, the highest number in over a decade and up 15.7% year on year, only 1,018 passenger battery-electric vehicles were sold in the country last year, down 17% from 1,231 in 2024. That means BEVs made up only 0.17% of all the vehicles sold in South Africa in 2025. The only other segment that reported a decline in sales was the traditional plugless hybrid segment (HEVs), where sales were down 6% in 2025. In the HEV segment, 12,751 units were sold in 2025, compared to 13,552 in 2024.

Now the fallout from the unfortunate drama in the Middle East that is pushing up the price of petrol and diesel globally could just supercharge South Africa’s stuttering BEV market. According to George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader, the platform’s latest on-site data suggests the market may already be starting to shift. Over the past four weeks, enquiries for diesel-powered passenger vehicles have declined by -18% compared to mid-February, a notable change in a country where diesel has long been a preferred option for motorists focused on fuel efficiency and long-distance driving. For years, it has occupied a comfortable middle ground between affordability, performance and range. But when fuel prices rise sharply, that equation starts to change. And consumers appear to react immediately.

AutoTrader says at the same time, interest in alternative technologies is rising sharply. Searches for battery-electric vehicles are up +45% over the same period, while hybrid searches are up +16%. These shifts suggest that rising fuel costs are pushing many South Africans to reconsider their reliance on traditional fossil fuels. This is great news for EV adoption as many motorists that were still on the fence and unsure about when they could go for an EV will now be doing some serious number crunching and will now be able to see the clear TCO benefits associated with switching to electric vehicles.

AutoTrader says what makes this shift more telling is that it is not just showing up in search behavior. Demand is translating into action. Consumers are not only searching for alternatives, but also engaging with them more seriously as running costs come under pressure. What is particularly notable is that this growing demand for battery-electric vehicles is not yet being matched by stock availability. BEV listings are down -3% even as demand has risen sharply, pointing to a market where supply may already be tightening. That could reflect existing stock being bought up more quickly, while some current owners choose to hold onto their BEVs as fuel prices climb.

On  the flipside, diesel, petrol, and hybrid stock supply have all edged higher. That suggests supply in the traditional market remains available, even as buyer attention begins to move elsewhere. It is that disconnect between shopper behavior and available stock that makes this moment worth watching.

If demand for BEVs continues to rise while listings remain constrained, the used market could feel the effects first. Tighter supply and growing demand would likely put upward pressure on prices, particularly for well-priced second-hand electric vehicles.

Of course this doesn’t mean diesel is disappearing overnight, or that South Africa has suddenly become an electric vehicle market. But an -18% change in diesel enquiries over four weeks is a meaningful signal, especially when it is happening alongside stronger interest in electric and hybrid alternatives. If these trends continue, rising fuel costs may do more than squeeze household budgets, and go a long way in catalyzing adoption.

In the meantime, for those that are not able to make the switch to electric immediately and in the medium term or those people that are in a position to do so but unavailability of stock may result in long lead times, they could make some changes on a personal level that are part of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) briefing – “Sheltering from Oil Shocks.”  The brief includes a range of demand-side measures to reduce consumption, focused primarily on road transport. Although the brief is addressing mostly governments to help with demand side management, individuals and families can also incorporate some of the recommendations in their daily activities. These include:

• Working from home where possible
• Reducing their driving speeds especially on highways by at least 10 km/h even if governments are yet to implement the IEA’s recommendations on a national level.
• Use public transport where possible to cushion themselves from spiraling fuel costs
• Additionally, they could carpool with friends and family and split the fuel costs.

Image courtesy of AutoTrader