Key Takeaways
- Gasoline-only vehicles now account for just 49% of global new-car sales.
- Battery-electric vehicles saw a 12% increase, reaching 6.87 million sales.
- Hybrid vehicles performed even better, with 7.27 million sales and 18% market share.
Gasoline-only cars have fallen below 50% of global new-car sales for the first time, according to Mobility Global data. This marks a significant shift from 2021, when such vehicles accounted for 73% of the market.
Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) have seen a steady rise, with sales increasing by 12% to 6.87 million units, giving them a 17% share of the global market.
Hybrid vehicles, which still use combustion engines, performed even better, with 7.27 million sales and a 18% market share.
Despite the decline in gasoline-only cars, about 83% of new vehicles sold globally still have some form of combustion engine, indicating a gradual shift rather than an immediate transition.
The global car market itself shrank by around 5% in the first half of 2026, with gasoline-only sales falling faster than the overall market. This pushed their market share down from 52% to 49% in just one year.
China recorded the biggest drop in gas-only vehicle sales, falling 26%, while Europe declined 13%. These regions are leading the shift towards more sustainable transportation options.
Battery-electric sales increased sharply in several major regions. Europe recorded a 32% increase to 1.81 million units, while Southeast Asia jumped 81% to 350,000 units. Oceania saw EV sales more than double to around 110,000 vehicles.
The US has been a weaker spot for EV growth, but hybrids continue to expand there. Hybrid vehicles accounted for a record 16.3% of US sales in Q2 2026, up strongly from a year earlier.
Higher oil and fuel prices have pushed more buyers toward vehicles with lower running costs. Mobility Global associate director Yoshiaki Kawano expects EV demand to increasingly come from consumer preference rather than subsidies as prices continue to fall.
