SEARCHES FOR ELECTRIC vehicles (EVs) on DoneDeal Cars have more than doubled since the outbreak of war in Iran.

The war began on 28 February, with the killing of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A two-week ceasefire was then agreed between the US and Iran on 8 April.

The conflict has seen a spike in fuel prices and DoneDeal said there has been a 125% increase in EV-specific searches on its site as drivers “look to insulate themselves from pump-price volatility”.

New measures taken by the government to reduce the cost of fuel took effect yesterday, although the fuel industry’s representative group said customers will not see those cuts reflected at the pump immediately.

Diesel prices have gone up more than petrol because it is harder to refine and DoneDeal said diesel-specific searches have fallen by close to 20% over the same period.

Hybrid searches meanwhile have risen by 43%.

DoneDeal Cars fuel-type search shift from February 2026 vs April 2026 DoneDeal Cars DoneDeal Cars

Paddy Comyn, head of communications at DoneDeal Cars, remarked that Irish drivers are “actively moving towards EVs and hybrids at a pace our platform data has rarely shown before”.

However, Comyn added that for the majority still in combustion-engine cars, there is “real money to be saved right now by altering driving habits”, such as maintaining the correct tyre pressure and planning journeys more efficiently.

When it comes to diesel and petrol, DoneDeal said “small changes make meaningful savings” and that over the course of a year, the “difference between efficient and inefficient driving habits can reach up to €300”.

DoneDeal noted that €300 is equal to roughly three full tanks of diesel at current prices.

For example, running 10% below the recommended tyre pressure levels can add up to 4% to annual fuel consumption, and DoneDeal notes that planning journeys for quieter periods, avoiding peak-hour stop-start traffic and maintaining a steady motorway speed “all have an outsized effect on consumption”.

Meanwhile, DoneDeal advised that hybrid efficiency gains “only materialise if you drive accordingly” and that motorway driving at 120km/h pushes the petrol engine to do most of the work, largely eroding the hybrid advantage.

It has advised hybrid motorists to plan routes through towns and secondary roads where possible, where the electric motor will carry more of the load.

DoneDeal also advised that EV efficiency “varies considerably with driver behaviour”.

Its analysis and experimentation shows that energy consumption rises by close to 30% at 120km/h compared to 100km/h.

DoneDeal said the “single most effective change an EV driver can make on motorway journeys is to hold a steady 100km/h on the inside lane”.

A spokesperson said this “costs very little in journey time and meaningfully extends range”.

Elsewhere, DoneDeal advised combining errands into a single journey, avoiding peak-hour congestion and using traffic apps to find free-flowing routes to reduce fuel or energy use.

Note: Journal Media Ltd has shareholders in common with DoneDeal Ltd