A spike in fuel prices triggered by the ongoing Middle East conflict (which escalated on 28 February) has driven a dramatic rise in demand for second-hand electric vehicles in France, with searches on used-car platforms tripling in just one month. Guillaume-Henri Blanchet, chief executive of La Centrale, France's leading used-vehicle marketplace, reports a 160% increase in electric vehicle inquiries, as buyers who had never previously considered going electric are now drawn in by the cost gap — a full tank costing around €150 compared with roughly €20–30 to charge an electric car at home. Industry professionals say the shift is likely to outlast the crisis itself, noting that unlike during the 2022 oil price surge linked to the war in Ukraine, there is now a sufficiently wide stock of used electric vehicles in France to meet the demand.