India July car sales show alternative fuels nearly equal petrol/ethanol
Big shift alert: In July 2026, almost as many new cars in India ran on alternative fuels (40.59%) as on petrol/ethanol (41.68%).
That's a huge jump from last year, when the gap was over 13 points.
Now it's just about one point, says the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA).
This change is mostly because buyers are unsure about switching to E20 ethanol-blended petrol.
FADA sees alternative fuels overtaking petrol
CNG/LPG vehicles are up, now making up nearly a quarter of sales. Hybrids and EVs are also rising fast, while diesel keeps sliding down.
Electric three-wheelers are especially popular: they own more than 65% of their segment!
With record vehicle sales and government schemes like PM E-DRIVE, GST cuts, and support from automakers, FADA thinks the narrowing gap could lead to alternative fuels overtaking petrol in the passenger vehicle market in the coming months.