Jun. 19 at 2:30 AM
Chile is seeing a sharp acceleration in electric vehicle adoption amid rising fuel prices, with fully electric car sales nearly doubling in the first five months of 2026, according to data from the National Automotive Association (Anac).
A total of 4,168 EVs were sold between January and May, up 96.8% year over year, while plug-in hybrids and extended-range electric vehicles posted combined growth of 327.5% to 3,634 units. The surge reflects higher gasoline and diesel costs linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, prompting consumers to consider electrified alternatives.
Despite strong growth rates, Anac noted Chile remains in an early adoption phase, with EV penetration at 6.1%—still far below levels needed to reach a 20% target by 2030. Tesla leads the fully electric segment with a 27.1% market share, followed by Volvo and BYD.
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