Australian sales of electric vehicles overtook gas-powered cars for the first time in August, official data shows, with experts saying that higher oil prices resulting from the U.S. war with Iran was one of the main reasons for the shift.

The country is known for having vast distances between cities and a population that loves to explore the bush and outback, often via car or caravan. The electric vehicle transition has been slow, with many drivers concerned that electric cars could not cope with long road trips.

But slowly, electric cars have become more popular as costs have come down thanks to Chinese imports and improvements in charging infrastructure. The fuel shortages that resulted from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz earlier this year added another reason for people to make the switch: energy security.

“What began as a climate and technology story is increasingly becoming an energy security story,” said Hussein Dia, a professor of transport technology at Swinburne University in Melbourne.

“For a large number of years, Australians asked whether an E.V. could take them far enough, but the fuel crisis has basically prompted another question: How exposed do I want to be to the next global oil shock?” he said.

Mr. Dia added that for a long time electric cars had been touted for their environmental benefit, appealing to only a select group whose interests aligned with concerns over the climate. But as cost-of-living pressures mounted, and oil shortages hit as a result of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, attitudes have changed.

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