Chinese automaker, BYD, is seeing a surge in EV buyers as oil prices rise amid rising tensions in the Middle East. Since its decision to stop building vehicles powered solely by internal combustion engines in 2022, BYd has become the world's largest EV maker. The company is now ranked sixth in global sales in 2025, surpassing Ford for the first time, with over 4.6 million electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles sold. Sales growth has slowed recently due to competition and shifting policies, but BYD is seeing an increase in EV demand as buyers seek alternatives to gas and gas prices. While Asia, particularly Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and the Philippines, have higher EV adoption rates than those of the US and Europe, they are still hit hard by rising oil prices. A recent analysis from UK-based Ember found that global EV adoption helped avoid 1.7 million barrels per day of oil consumption last year, or about 70% of Iran's exports through the Strait of Hormuz.