Overview
- FADA’s August retail data, released on Monday, showed combined CNG/LPG, hybrid and EV passenger‑vehicle retail share at 41.95% versus petrol/ethanol’s 40.85%, marking the first month the alternatives led petrol.
- Total auto retails hit a record 24,23,201 units in August 2026 and passenger‑vehicle registrations crossed 4,02,398 units, up 16.14% year‑on‑year.
- CNG accounted for the largest part of the shift with a 25.28% PV share while hybrids were 9.04% and EVs 7.63%, and total EV retail across categories reached 2,98,448 units, up 52.9% year‑on‑year.
- Dealers warned that some annual strength reflects a soft August 2025 base from the GST 2.0 timing and that elevated dealer inventories of about 38–40 days mean showroom conversion during the September–November festive season will determine whether the trend endures.
- Rural demand outpaced urban growth in August with rural PV retail up 24.99% versus urban 10.93%, and market leaders remain Maruti Suzuki in overall PV retail and Tata Motors in EV passenger volumes.