Alternative-fuel closes in on petrol cars

The share of alternative fuel cars reached 40.59 per cent in July 2026 and it is in striking distance of petrol cars, industry body Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said.

Listen to this article

Overall Passenger Vehicle retail sales came in at 4,16,555 units in July 2026, up 19.13 per cent YoY. For the first time the sales have crossed the 4-lakh mark in a July, it said.

The alternative fuel share reached 40.59 per cent, when compared to 41.68 per cent for petrol vehicles. The gap has narrowed to 1.09 percentage points, when compared to 13.21 points year ago.

Consumer hesitation around the E20 transition nudged buyers towards CNG, hybrids and EVs, FADA said.

This sets up a potential historic crossover in the coming months, it said.

Among alternative fuels, CNG accounted for 24.67 per cent, Hybrid 8.02 per cent and EVs accounted for 7.90 per cent.

“July 2026 has etched itself into Indian Auto Retail history — for the first time on record, every single category posted its best-ever July, with Two-Wheelers, Three-Wheelers, Commercial Vehicles, Passenger Vehicles, Tractors and Wheeled Construction Equipment all at all-time July highs,” FADA Vice President Sai Giridhar said in a statement.

Latest

Defence Export SOP simplified

The reforms seek to reduce procedural requirements, facilitate faster...

Tempsens makes stellar market debut

The company’s shares listed at Rs 631.20 on BSE...

TN needs to accelerate AI adoption

The conclave, organised jointly by SICCI, iTNT Hub and...

Yamaha steps up premium push

At the launch event of YZF-R2 in Chennai, Hajime...

Newsletter

Don't miss

Defence Export SOP simplified

The reforms seek to reduce procedural requirements, facilitate faster...

Tempsens makes stellar market debut

The company’s shares listed at Rs 631.20 on BSE...

TN needs to accelerate AI adoption

The conclave, organised jointly by SICCI, iTNT Hub and...

Yamaha steps up premium push

At the launch event of YZF-R2 in Chennai, Hajime...

TVS Motor names Peyman Kargar as CEO

Following the transition, Radhakrishnan will serve as Non-Executive Director...

Defence Export SOP simplified

The reforms seek to reduce procedural requirements, facilitate faster access to international markets and enable Indian defence companies to respond more effectively to global...

Tempsens makes stellar market debut

The company’s shares listed at Rs 631.20 on BSE and Rs 634 on NSE, when compared to issue price of Rs 300. Tempsens came out...

TN needs to accelerate AI adoption

The conclave, organised jointly by SICCI, iTNT Hub and the German Indian Business Alliance (GIBA), was themed “AI Tamil Nadu 2030: Positioning Tamil Nadu...