Recent geopolitical events in the Middle East and the associated high fuel prices are also reflected in AutoScout24’s platform data: in the first three weeks of September, searches for electric vehicles increased by 68 per cent year on year. Contact enquiries rose even more sharply, up 85 per cent over the same period.
Persistently high petrol and diesel prices are once again driving activity in the Swiss automotive market. Against the backdrop of recent tensions in the Middle East and related disruptions to the oil supply chain, vehicle running costs are becoming increasingly important when purchasing or considering changing vehicles. This trend is clearly visible in the latest usage data on AutoScout24. Particularly since mid-September, the marketplace has recorded a marked increase in interest in electric vehicles.
Search volume up almost 70 per cent year on year
An analysis of the period from 1 to 21 September 2026 highlights the momentum behind this development: searches for electric vehicles rose by 68 per cent compared with the same period last year. Month on month, search volume grew by 26 per cent compared with August 2026. Compared with the seasonal low point in July, this represents an increase of 58 per cent.
From mid-September onwards, an additional uptick emerged, coinciding with disruptions in the oil supply chain: between 13 and 21 September, average daily searches were 29 per cent higher than in the first twelve days of the month.
Concrete buying interest: contact enquiries grow faster than searches
In addition to search volume, concrete buying interest on AutoScout24 also increased significantly. Contact enquiries for electric vehicles were up 85 per cent in the first three weeks of September compared with the same period in September 2025. Compared with August 2026, this represents an increase of 36 per cent.
“Over the past few months, we have already seen that rising fuel costs significantly increase interest in electric vehicles,” says Alberto Sanz de Lama, Managing Director Automotive at SMG Swiss Marketplace Group. “The latest September data confirms this trend and clearly shows how quickly external market developments become visible in activity on AutoScout24.”
Data basis
The analysis is based on daily average searches and contact enquiries for electric vehicles on AutoScout24. The period from 1 to 21 September 2026 was compared with the corresponding period in the previous year (September 2025), as well as the comparison periods in August and July 2026.
Michelle Gehri
Corporate Communication Manager