Alternative-fuel cars edge past petrol in India’s August retail sales

Alternative-fuel passenger vehicles took a 41.9% share of India’s August retail sales, ahead of petrol at 40.8%, led by CNG at 25.2%. Maruti Suzuki held about 71% of CNG car sales, while Tata Motors accounted for roughly 43% of electric passenger-vehicle sales.

— Source publishedTue, 8 Sept, 2026, 06:54 IST·First seen Tue, 8 Sept, 2026, 07:05 IST·Source Times of India · Business

What happened

Alternative-fuel vehicles overtook petrol in India passenger-vehicle retail sales in August, led by CNG. Maruti Suzuki dominated CNG and Tata Motors led

Key facts

  • Alternative-fuel passenger vehicles: 41.9% share in August
  • Petrol passenger vehicles: 40.8% share
  • CNG: 25.2% share
  • Hybrids: 9% share
  • EV passenger vehicles: 7.6% share
  • Diesel: 17.2% share
  • Maruti Suzuki CNG share: around 71%
  • Tata Motors electric passenger vehicle share: around 43%
  • Two-wheeler EV penetration: 10.7%, versus 7.7% a year earlier
  • Three-wheeler EV share: 65.3%, versus 56.6% a year earlier
  • Commercial-vehicle EV share: 5.2%, versus 2.1% a year earlier
  • EV retail sales across categories: 2.98 lakh units, up 52.9% year-on-year

Why this matters

The fuel-mix shift increases the strategic value of partnerships and acquisitions across CNG infrastructure, EV charging, batteries, and alternative-fuel distribution.