We started charging: demand for electric cars has increased in Russia

In the first quarter, Russians' demand for electric vehicles increased by 22.5% compared to the same period last year, analysts told Izvestia. At the same time, the segment of such cars occupies less than 1% of the total volume of the car market. Despite the fact that some cars are included in the preferential loan program, they are not being bought due to a shortage of charging infrastructure and too high a price, experts say. However, only the formation of a stable sense of reliability and predictability of the infrastructure will help to change the situation.

Which electric cars do Russians buy?

Russians' interest in electric cars increased significantly in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year, the National Rating Agency (NRA) told Izvestia. Demand increased by 22.5%, but the segment of such cars still accounts for less than 1% of the total volume of the Russian car market.

"In the first quarter of 2026, the electric vehicle segment is estimated at 0.9% of the new car market, which is 0.1 percentage points more than in January-March 2025," the NRA noted, citing data from the Autostat agency. — Localized brands dominate the domestic market. Evolute remains one of the leaders."

Dealers of this brand sold 922 cars from January to March, an increase of 5.6 times compared to the same period in 2025. China's Geely, Xiaomi, Zeekr and Avatr also entered the top five in terms of sales volumes. The last two brands, which are not officially represented in our country, showed negative dynamics at the beginning of 2026: demand decreased by 75% and 18%, respectively.

"Subsidizing the purchase of domestic electric vehicles remains one of the main elements of stimulating demand, which makes them more accessible to a wide range of buyers and directly supports domestic manufacturers," the NRA noted. "The preferential loan program includes electric vehicles and hybrids produced in Russia."

The trend was also confirmed by the insurance company "Consent". They noted not just growth, but a recovery in demand after last year's recession. In 2025, sales for all types of cars sank, and electric trains were no exception.

"According to the results of the first quarter of 2026, the number of insured electric vehicles in the company increased by about 10% compared to the same period in 2025," said Dmitry Sokolov, deputy director of the Department of underwriting and product Management at Consent. — The share of electric cars is still small, but the interest in them from policyholders is steadily returning to the level before the recession.

He recalled that electric car insurance has its own specifics. In addition to the standard risks, the vulnerability of the traction battery is added: damage to it, even in a minor accident, may require expensive replacement rather than repair.

"A separate factor is the risk of battery fire, which is more difficult to locate and extinguish compared to a conventional car," the expert added. — The cost of insurance is also affected by the limited network of certified services and the high price of original components.

The growth in demand for electric vehicles in Russia is being recorded, but so far these changes are taking place within a small segment, Daniil Shkurygin, commercial director of <url>, confirmed.

"The double—digit sales growth in the first quarter of 2026 is due to the effect of a low base — a year ago, sales of the entire new car segment sank significantly," the expert said.

The electric vehicle market in Russia is a strategically important area, the NRA emphasized. However, its development is hampered by a lack of charging infrastructure. This reduces the interest of consumers, especially private buyers.

"The government relies on localization, subsidies, and the corporate sector, but mass consumer adaptation is impossible without addressing infrastructure issues," the experts emphasized. "Without parallel infrastructure development, even significant subsidies will not be able to ensure a massive transition to electric vehicles."

Izvestia sent requests to the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Industry and Trade with a request to assess the situation with the development of the segment of electric vehicles and charging stations in Russia.

What hinders the development of the market

Among the reasons for the low popularity of electric cars are the high cost, limited choice, and skepticism of consumers who are accustomed to trust universal models, Daniil Shkurygin believes.

"This is noticeable by the high popularity of hybrid models," he said. — Against this background, Belarus looks more successful due to a more compact market, a more understandable ownership economy and more favorable conditions for import and operation. First of all, a more favorable regulatory environment.

Maxim Shvalyuk, head of Sales at Ondi Cars, attributed the low demand for electric vehicles to current legislation.

"Huge customs duties and recycling fees make any foreign car a very expensive pleasure, and an electric car especially," the expert explained. — The preferential recycling fee of 5.2 thousand rubles applies only to electric vehicles whose 30-minute capacity does not exceed 80 horsepower. There are very few of them, in fact, these are micro-cars with only two seats. People would love to buy electric cars if it weren't for the 2.5 times overpayment when imported into Russia.

Belarus is an illustrative example against this background, reminded Alexey Ivanov, the owner of the Alliance Trucks commercial vehicle dealership network.

"Electric vehicles already account for about 14% of new sales there," the expert said. — Minsk did not impose protective charges on imported electric cars and retained tax benefits. Plus, the country's compactness: 500 km of power reserve covers almost any route there. With our distances, even with the infrastructure of the capital region, the thought comes "suddenly I won't get there."

For the mass motorist, an electric car remains a niche solution for now, Konstantin Ozhogin, an auto expert at Tamashi, agreed. In a country with long distances and a cold climate, the versatility of a car remains a key factor. It is important for the buyer to be sure that he will be able to use the car without restrictions not only in the city, but also on the highway or on long-distance trips.

"Concerns remain about power reserve in winter, battery life, secondary market liquidity and service availability," he said. —The economy of ownership has an additional deterrent effect. Electric vehicles are still perceived as a risky investment due to the high cost of purchase and uncertainty about infrastructure.

Why are there not enough charges?

The charging infrastructure is well developed in Russian cities and megacities, said Valery Sitnikov, Executive Director of the Association for the Development of Electric Transport.

"The presence of more than 10,000 public electric charging stations in urban agglomerations is more than enough," he stressed. — If you open the 2Charges card, which combines information about the activities of all EHS in the country, you can see that 70-75% of all of them are free.

Chairman of the Association of Manufacturers and Operators of Electric Charging Stations Armen Safaryan recalled that the state has been actively supporting the electric vehicle segment only since 2021-2022. And during this period, the number of EHS increased three to four times and reached 8-9 thousand units.

But for investments in fast charging stations to pay off, one EHS requires at least 7-10 charging sessions per day, and now this figure is less than three.

"Therefore, the current number of public charging stations is more than enough to meet the demand of more than 250,000 electric vehicles," Armen Safaryan stressed. — Now the fleet of electric vehicles is barely approaching the mark of 100 thousand units.

According to Valery Sitnikov, it is not yet advisable to expand the EHS network in cities, now they are not paying off.

"But there is absolutely not enough charging infrastructure on federal and regional roads," he noted. — But the cost of building stations there is more expensive than in cities. That is why the electric car has not yet become a mass means of transportation for traveling around the country.

Konstantin Ozhogin believes that the key areas for the development of the popularity of electric vehicles are the expansion of the network of fast charging stations on federal highways, the promotion of charging installations in residential complexes and commercial real estate, as well as the unification of access and payment services. According to him, the decisive factor will be not so much the number of stations as the formation of a stable sense of reliability and predictability of the infrastructure for the driver.