Drivers across the country are looking to switch to electric vehicles at a rapid rate as soaring fuel prices put motorists off from staying with their petrol and diesel cars.
Octopus Electric Vehicles has seen a 36 per cent jump in EV leasing enquiries since the start of the conflict in the Middle East at the end of February.
This is likely to stem from the rapidly increasing petrol and diesel prices in response to oil prices spiking well above $100 (£75) over recent weeks.
The latest data shows that drivers are paying an average of 148.55p per litre for petrol, while diesel car owners are spending an average of £1.74.
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Since February 28, when Iran's Supreme Leader was killed in a missile strike, petrol prices have jumped by 15.7p, while diesel has increased by 22 per cent, adding an extra 31.5p to a litre.
With analysts predicting that fuel prices will continue to rise as the conflict drags on, interest in electric vehicles will likely rise as drivers look to save money.
Electric cars already make up around one in four new vehicle sales in the UK, with increases expected to rise substantially in the coming months.
Gurjeet Grewal, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles, said drivers were being hit every time they fill up their cars.
Interest in electric vehicle leasing has soared in recent weeks amid high fuel prices
|GETTY
"We're seeing a real shift - people want certainty over their bills. Leasing an electric car gives drivers a simple, affordable way to break free from unpredictable fuel prices," Mr Grewal said.
Octopus expects demand for electric vehicles to continue growing, especially if fuel prices remain high due to instability in the Middle East.
Sister company Octopus Energy reported an impressive 27 per cent jump in enquiries for solar in the early days of the conflict in Iran.
Octopus EV highlighted that drivers can save even more if they have a home charger and use an EV-friendly rate, such as the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff.
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Oil prices have fluctuated massively in recent weeks amid the conflict in the Middle East
|OILPRICE.COM
Alongside making use of greener technology, drivers can save hundreds of pounds a year by charging during off-peak hours.
Ginny Buckley, chief executive of Electrifying.com, the electric car buying and advice site, emphasised that some drivers were paying "just pennies per mile" to charge at home.
She stated that there had been a week-on-week surge in traffic of 50 per cent to Electrifying.com, with popular car brands seeing the same.
Citing claims from Kia, Ms Buckley said the South Korean manufacturer had seen a 42 per cent spike in EV test drive requests.
Electrifying.com and EV Experts have also seen a huge spike in interest in electric vehicles since the start of March
| GETTYSimilarly, Martin Miller, co-founder and CEO of EV Experts, said it was "hard to ignore" the soaring petrol and diesel prices at pumps across the UK.
He said electric vehicles were selling at a quicker rate than previously, with Saturday (March 21) being one of the company's busiest days on record.
Mr Miller continued, saying: "When petrol prices move this sharply, people start doing the maths properly. For a lot of buyers, that's when EVs begin to make more sense."
EV Experts has hit strong weekday sales, with particular interest in Saturdays. The only comparable surge in interest was during the September 2021 fuel supply crisis.