Blood In The Water: Automakers Rush To Sell EVs In The Middle East

Electric vehicles are gaining ground globally, and gas-only cars have fallen below half of new vehicle sales worldwide for the first time, according to industry data cited in the news. Automakers are now chasing growth in an unlikely place: the oil-rich Middle East. Chinese automaker Chery Group, working with Jaguar Land Rover, just launched its revived Freelander brand in Abu Dhabi, with dealer partnerships now set up in Dubai and the Northern Emirates too. Saudi Arabia has also been building up its own EV manufacturing base, and Tesla has started selling there as well.

None of this changes anything about rebates or programs available to US homeowners. But it points to a bigger shift: EVs are increasingly replacing gas cars rather than just adding to the market, even in regions whose economies depend on oil. In the US, EV sales have been slower to take off, though interest has been ticking up and electricity use by EVs kept rising this year.

One factor driving the EV push worldwide is high gas and diesel prices, tied partly to tight US refining capacity and global supply disruptions. If you're weighing an EV purchase alongside home upgrades like a heat pump or added insulation, this trend suggests EV costs and options may keep improving over time, even if US buying patterns haven't caught up yet with the rest of the world. There's no new rebate or deadline here for homeowners to act on, just a sign of where car technology and fuel costs are heading.