More than half of drivers in Norway say their next car will be electric as a response to soaring fuel prices, the country’s auto association has said, AFP reports.

Norway is the largest oil producer in Europe, after Russia, but the Scandinavian country is already a champion of electric vehicles (EVs), which account for over 95 per cent of new registrations. But the surge in fuel prices since war erupted in the Middle East is convincing even more motorists to make the switch.

In April, 51pc of drivers surveyed said their next car would be electric, according to a study by the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF). In the same month last year, the figure was just 46pc, and NAF described the increase as “the biggest jump in several years”.

“It’s quite clear that high fuel prices and uncertainty about energy supplies are affecting people’s choice of car,” NAF spokesman Nils Sodal said in a statement.