The military crisis in the Middle East, triggered by the war against Iran, has increased gas prices, pushing people to sell their vehicles for hybrid options, which are now selling at a record pace. The surge in demand has left dealerships struggling to keep up with supply, forcing buyers to take public transport as they wait for the delivery of their new vehicle.

According to AAA, the current national average gas price is $4.02, far less than Washington‘s average of $5.38. The reaction to this is people selling their gas-powered vehicles for hybrids. However, an excessive demand for them is leading to a supply scarcity at auto dealerships.

KING5 quoted the comments of Jason, the owner of a dealership called AutoAvia in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood. With two decades of experience in the automotive industry, Jason stated that the demand for hybrid vehicles immediately shot up when gas prices increased:

“As soon as gas prices went up, I was getting crazy calls, phone ringing off the hook.”

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Jason acknowledged that restocking hybrid vehicles is becoming a challenge, given the high demand that is difficult to keep up with. He revealed having more than 12 units of Generation 2 Priuses, but now, after three weeks, the number has dropped to four units. He added:

“At dealer auctions, prices for these cars have almost doubled. So if I’m sourcing them for twice as much, they’re going to have to sell for a lot more as well, which I’m not looking forward to.”

Jason acknowledged that people have been selling their gas-powered cars like never before to save cost, and are even willing to wait by taking public transport. He said:

“I’ve had multiple customers say that before they bought a car, they sold their gas guzzler. And they’ve been just taking the bus or the train, the light rail. When they come to pick up their car, I usually pick them up at the light rail station.”

However, Jason has advised people against making hasty decisions, urging them to do their own research before making a purchase. He said:

“If you’re gonna make the switch or you already have an older car, I would say don’t be afraid to do your own research, get second opinions. Just fix your stuff. That is the most economical thing you can do right now.”