Demand for electric vehicles around Greater Boston jumped sharply in March as gas prices continued to rise due to the war in Iran.
According to data shared with GBH News by the online car retailer Cars.com, searches for EVs rose by 41% from the end of February to the end of March in the Boston area. The local spike falls in line with national trends, but the company noted that the jump in Boston was more dramatic than other parts of the country. Nationally, users looking at EVs increased 25% on average.
EV sales have also risen recently, though not as significantly, according to Boston-based CarGurus. The online car-seller told GBH News that new EV sales — which have been declining in 2026 due to the loss of federal tax credits last September — are showing signs of leveling off.
“New EV sales are still down year-over-year,” said Kevin Roberts, director of economic and market intelligence at CarGurus. “But the gap is narrowing month over month with gas prices rising.”
In Massachusetts, Roberts said, the year-over-year decline in new EV sales was roughly 63% in February, but only 38% in March. Some of that is because of “normal spring seasonality,” he explained, “but gas prices crossing $4 a gallon are clearly pulling buyers back toward EVs.”
The bigger change, according to Roberts, was a large jump in the sale of used EVs this spring. According to Cargurus’ data, used EV sales flipped positive in March, up 16% year-over-year after being roughly flat in February.
That’s in part due to a drop in used EV prices. Traditionally, the high cost of buying a new electric vehicle — close to $60,000 on average in the U.S. — has made the switch to electric a hard sell for consumers, even when gas prices are up. According to a recent analysis by the financial news magazine Barron’s, it can take five to 10 years for an EV to pay off financially compared with a gasoline-powered car.
But in recent years, EV resale prices have fallen significantly, as rapid advances in battery and range technology have made older models less desirable. Used EV prices have fallen roughly 40% since 2022, and popular models like the Tesla Model Y are now averaging around $30,000, making the switch to EVs more attractive to consumers.
According to Roberts, the dip in prices combined with the current surge in gas prices may be tipping potential buyers over the edge.
“A used EV under $40k is now starting to look like a practical financial decision for buyers watching gas prices climb,” he said.
In addition to lower prices, a growing charging network in Massachusetts is likely playing a part in the current EV surge, according to analysts. A recent report conducted by the state Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs found that the total number of public EV charging ports topped 9,000 in May 2025. That roughly a 50% increase since August 2023, making Massachusetts the most charger-dense state in the country.
“Charging access and range anxiety are usually among the top reasons drivers say they’d prefer to stick with gas-powered vehicles,” said Roberts. “As Massachusetts grows its charging network, it likely makes EV ownership feel more practical and convenient, which can help boost interest alongside factors like higher gas prices and more affordable prices.”
