EV and Hybrid Sales Accelerate as Petrol-Only Cars Fall Below 50%.
Petrol-only vehicles made up 49% of global new-car sales during the first six months of 2026, falling below half of the worldwide market for the first time on record, according to Mobility Global data cited by Nikkei.
The decline highlights a significant shift in the global automotive market. Petrol-only cars accounted for 73% of sales in 2021, but their share has dropped by 24 percentage points in less than five years. Rising fuel costs, stricter emissions regulations and increasing demand for hybrid and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) have contributed to the change, according to reports by Nikkei and Electrek.
Global powertrain sales in H1 2026
| Powertrain | H1 2026 sales | Year-on-year change | Market share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol-only | 20.25 million | –10% | 49% |
| Hybrid (HEV) | 7.27 million | +10% | 18% |
| Battery-electric (BEV) | 6.87 million | +12% | 17% |
| Diesel, PHEV and others | Not reported | Not reported | ~16% |
Petrol-only vehicle sales declined 10% year-on-year to 20.25 million units between January and June 2026. Their share of the global market also fell by three percentage points compared with the same period a year earlier, dropping from 52% to 49%, according to Mobility Global figures.
Meanwhile, electrified vehicles continued to gain momentum. Hybrid sales increased 10% year-on-year to 7.27 million units, representing 18% of the market, while BEV sales climbed 12% to 6.87 million units and captured a 17% share.
Despite the rapid growth of electrified vehicles, only the 17% share represented by battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) operates entirely without fuel. Once hybrids, plug-in hybrids, diesel and other combustion-based models are taken into account, around 83% of new vehicles sold during the first half of the year still featured an internal-combustion engine, according to Electrek.
Petrol-only vehicles recorded a considerably sharper decline than the wider automotive market. Sales dropped most significantly in China, falling 26%, while Europe registered a 13% decrease, broadly reflecting separate vehicle-registration figures from Chinese automotive industry bodies and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
Higher fuel costs accelerate transition
Nikkei linked the faster shift towards electrified vehicles partly to a surge in fuel prices following renewed tensions in the Middle East. Higher running costs encouraged more consumers to consider fuel-efficient and electric alternatives, even as the overall global vehicle market contracted by around 5% during the first half of the year, according to International Energy Agency data cited by Electrek.
The decline in petrol-only vehicles was roughly twice the rate of contraction recorded across the overall market. China experienced the steepest fall at 26%, followed by Europe at 13%.
The transition was also evident across the European Union. From the beginning of the year through August, BEV registrations reached 1,641,333 units, marginally exceeding the 1,634,733 petrol-car registrations recorded over the same period. Meanwhile, registrations of petrol-powered vehicles declined 18.6%, according to ACEA figures.
EV demand rises across key regions
Battery-electric vehicle sales recorded strong growth across several major markets during the first half of 2026, according to Mobility Global data.
Europe saw BEV sales climb 32% to 1.81 million units, while Southeast Asia recorded an 81% increase to around 350,000 vehicles. Oceania experienced even faster growth, with BEV sales more than doubling to approximately 110,000 units.
China remained by far the largest BEV market despite recording a 3% decline, with sales reaching 3.44 million units. The country continued to represent roughly half of all battery-electric vehicles sold globally.
North America moved in the opposite direction, with BEV sales falling 15% during the period. Industry trackers cited by Electrek and TeslaNorth linked the decline partly to uncertainty surrounding government policies and the withdrawal or expiration of some electric-vehicle purchase incentives.
US market: Hybrid demand climbs as EV sales weaken
In the United States, electric-vehicle demand weakened following reductions in federal tax incentives. Cox Automotive projected around 239,000 new EVs would be sold during the third quarter, accounting for roughly 6% of the overall vehicle market. That would represent a decline of approximately 45% compared with the same period a year earlier.
However, the slowdown in EV demand did not result in buyers simply shifting back to conventional petrol-powered vehicles, according to Cox Automotive data.
During the second quarter, the combined market share of petrol and diesel vehicles declined to 76.8%, compared with 77.6% previously. At the same time, hybrids reached a record 16.3% share, up from 13%.
Overall, electrified vehicles increased their share of the US market to 23.2%, from 22.4%, indicating that hybrids continued to gain traction even as demand for fully electric vehicles faced pressure.
