FADA: record August auto retail; CNG, hybrid and EV cars overtake petrol share

The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) said on 7 September 2026 that India recorded its biggest-ever August for vehicle retail. Registrations rose 17.51% year-on-year to 24,23,201 units, though they were about 6.5% lower than July.

Segment-wise retail

Passenger vehicle retail crossed 4 lakh units in August for the first time.

A fuel-mix milestone

For the first time, cars running on alternative fuels together outsold petrol cars in retail:

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• CNG: about 25.3% share
• Hybrids: about 9.0%
• Electric: about 7.6%
• Total alternative fuels: about 42%, against roughly 41% for petrol

Across all vehicle types, about 2.98 lakh electric vehicles were sold, taking EV penetration to about 12.3%, up from 9.5% a year earlier. Electric models made up about 65% of three-wheeler sales and nearly 11% of two-wheeler sales.

What FADA said

FADA president Sai Giridhar called it the industry's biggest-ever August and pointed to alternative fuels overtaking petrol as a milestone. He cautioned that part of the year-on-year jump reflects buyers who had delayed purchases a year earlier.

Outlook

In FADA's survey, about two-thirds of dealers expected growth in September, with Navratri and the wider festive season expected to lift showroom traffic. September retail data is due in early October.