Petrol-only cars fall below 50% of global new-vehicle sales for first time
EVs and hybrids surge as petrol-only vehicles drop below 50% of new car sales
Petrol-only vehicles accounted for just 49% of new car sales worldwide in the first half of 2026, marking the first time on record that pure internal-combustion models have slipped under half of the global market, according to data from Mobility Global first reported by Nikkei.
The share of gasoline-only cars has collapsed from 73% in 2021 to 49% in less than five years, a 24-point drop driven by surging fuel prices, tighter emissions rules and rapid growth in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), Nikkei and Electrek reported.
Powertrain mix, H1 2026 (global)
| Powertrain | H1 2026 sales | Year-on-year change | Share of market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline-only | 20.25 million | –10% | 49% |
| Hybrid (HEV) | 7.27 million | 10% | 18% |
| Battery-electric (BEV) | 6.87 million | 12% | 17% |
| Diesel, PHEV, other | not reported | not reported | ~16% |
Source: Mobility Global via Nikkei; table compiled from Electrek
Sales of gasoline-only vehicles fell 10% year-on-year to 20.25 million units between January and June 2026, while their market share dropped three percentage points in a single year, from 52% to 49%, Mobility Global data show.
Only the 17% represented by BEVs runs with no fuel at all; when hybrids, diesels and plug-in hybrids are included, roughly 83% of new vehicles sold in the first half still carried an engine, Electrek noted.
Gasoline-only sales fell twice as fast as the overall market, with the steepest declines in China, down 26%, and Europe, down 13%, matching separate registration data from China’s auto associations and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).Electrek
Oil shock accelerates shift
Nikkei tied the acceleration to a sharp spike in fuel prices after renewed conflict in the Middle East, which pushed buyers toward lower running-cost vehicles as the overall car market shrank about 5% in the first half, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) data cited by Electrek.
Gasoline-only sales fell twice as fast as the overall market, with the steepest declines in China, down 26%, and Europe, down 13%, matching separate registration data from China’s auto associations and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
In the EU, BEV registrations overtook petrol cars for the year through August, at 1,641,333 versus 1,634,733, with petrol down 18.6%, ACEA data show.
Regional EV growth
Mobility Global data show BEV sales up 32% in Europe to 1.81 million, up 81% in Southeast Asia to 350,000, and more than doubling in Oceania to 110,000, while China’s BEV sales were down 3% at 3.44 million but still accounted for about half of global BEV volume.
North American BEV sales fell 15% in the period, reflecting policy uncertainty and the end of some purchase incentives, according to industry trackers cited by Electrek and TeslaNorth.
US market: hybrids rise as EVs wobble
In the US, EV sales took a hit after federal tax credits were scaled back, with Cox Automotive forecasting about 239,000 new EV sales in the third quarter, roughly 6% of the market and down about 45% from a year earlier.
But Cox data show buyers did not simply return to gasoline-only cars.
In the second quarter, the ICE (gas and diesel) share fell to 76.8% from 77.6%, while hybrids rose to a record 16.3% from 13.0%, and electrified vehicles as a whole increased to 23.2% from 22.4%.
