The electric car continues to grow at a healthy pace worldwide and is already leaving a mark in something very concrete: demand for and consumption of oil. According to Bloomberg, throughout 2025 electric vehicles avoided the use of up to 2.3 million barrels of oil per day.
Other, more conservative studies, such as Ember, place the figure at 1.7 million, but the impact is equally significant: it is, for example, equivalent to the daily production of countries like Libya or Nigeria. Beyond that, what matters is the trend shift: electrification is no longer marginal, even though electric cars are not yet the majority in many markets.
El recorte de petróleo no viene de EEUU o Europa: viene de Asia
If we look at the figures for markets such as Europe or the United States, the electric car has gained presence, but remains far from dominating the market. In Europe, pure electric vehicles already account for around 15% of registrations, while in Spain they began 2026 at around 7-8%. It is a clear advance compared to five years ago, but still conditioned in part by the purchase price and by public subsidies.
Fuente: Bloomberg
¿Y de dónde viene el grueso del recorte global de petróleo? De Asia. En el mayor mercado global de eléctricos, la mayor parte del ahorro procede de motos, scooters y vehículos eléctricos de dos y tres ruedas. En países como China, India o Vietnam son el transporte principal de millones de personas: se usan a diario para trabajar, repartir o desplazarse por ciudad, así que cuando esa base enorme se electrifica, el consumo de gasolina cae.
Además, hay un motivo muy simple: son más baratos de usar. La electricidad cuesta menos que la gasolina, el mantenimiento es mínimo y muchos de estos vehículos se cargan en casa o con soluciones prácticas como baterías intercambiables. Para millones de usuarios, el ahorro es inmediato en su día a día.
Fuente: Bloomberg
La tensión global con el petróleo está acelerando el cambio
The international context is also pushing this transition. Tensions in key areas such as the Strait of Hormuz, and the United States’ pressure on the energy market are raising uncertainty and the price of oil. That makes dependence on fuel increasingly risky.
According to Ember, electric vehicles help reduce that exposure, because with a barrel around 74 euros, China saves more than 26 billion euros per year on oil imports thanks to its electric fleet. Europe hovers around 7.4 billion, and India is starting to feel the same effect. And experts’ projections indicate that this impact will grow quickly.
BloombergNEF estimates that the avoided consumption could surpass 5.25 million barrels per day by 2030, as more markets adopt this technology because it already makes economic sense for them. For the user, the logic is the same: it works well when it fits into your routine and you have somewhere to charge; if not, there are still more practical options like hybrids.
Encuentra tu coche eléctrico ideal
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