Gasoline-Only Cars Fall Below Half of Global New-Car Sales for the First Time

Gasoline-only cars made up 49 percent of global new-car sales in the first half of 2026, the first time they have fallen below half of the market, according to Mobility Global data reported by Nikkei. The share was 52 percent a year earlier and 73 percent in 2021 (Electrek, AutoGuide).

The numbers

Powertrain, H1 2026	Units	Share	Change year on year
Gasoline-only	20.25 million	49%	-10%
Hybrid	7.27 million	About 18%	+10%
Battery-electric	6.87 million	About 17%	+12%
Diesel and plug-in hybrid	Not broken out	About 16%	-

The whole car market shrank by about 5 percent in the first half, according to the IEA as cited by AutoGuide, so gasoline-only sales fell about twice as fast as the market. The Seoul Economic Daily, which carried the finding on October 2, describes it as the first time gasoline cars have held less than half the market since automobiles became widespread in the 1920s; that historical claim is the newspaper's framing.

Hybrids, not only EVs

The headline can mislead. Gasoline-only vehicles lost share, but petrol and diesel engines are not disappearing. Electrek points out that about 83 percent of new vehicles sold still include a combustion engine, because hybrids outsold pure electric cars. The shift is away from gasoline-only models towards a mix of hybrids and electric vehicles.

For carmakers, that distinction matters. Makers that bet heavily on a straight jump to battery power have to compete with a large and growing hybrid segment, which grew at nearly the same rate as battery-electric sales in this data.

Where electric sales grew

Regional figures vary widely. In Europe, battery-electric sales rose 32 percent to 1.81 million units, and Autoevolution adds that electric cars reached 21.7 percent of EU registrations through August 2026. Southeast Asia saw an 81 percent rise to 350,000 units, and Oceania more than doubled to 110,000.

China is the exception. Battery-electric sales there fell 3 percent to 3.44 million, which Autoevolution attributes to reduced tax incentives, though China still accounts for about half of the global electric total. Gasoline-only sales fell 26 percent in China and 13 percent in Europe (Gulf News). Electrek reports that North America's battery-electric sales fell 15 percent.

What is driving the change

The Seoul Economic Daily links the shift to rising oil prices amid instability in the Middle East and to falling battery costs, saying battery packs averaged $99 per kilowatt-hour in 2025, down 28.3 percent from 2022. Nikkei also points to fuel costs. Autoevolution's author cautions that timing alone cannot prove fuel prices caused the whole shift, since electrification, government policy and model availability were already changing demand.

Yoshiaki Kawano of Mobility Global told Nikkei, as quoted by Electrek, that few EV buyers go back to gasoline cars or hybrids, and that genuine consumer demand will grow as prices come down. That is an analyst's view, not a measured trend.

The Korean example

The Seoul Economic Daily gives one national example. South Korea's domestic electric vehicle sales reached 268,092 units from January to August, up 90.2 percent on the year and equal to 24.4 percent of the market. Tesla led with 33.5 percent of electric sales, and BYD has sold 17,523 units since entering the market last year. These figures come from a single outlet.

What it does not show

The data covers only the first half of the year, and Motor1 notes that a six-month snapshot is not a forecast. It also measures sales, not cars on the road, where gasoline vehicles will dominate for many years. The underlying Mobility Global dataset has not been published, so the exact category definitions, particularly for plug-in and mild hybrids, are not confirmed. None of the regional data covers India.

What to watch next

Watch for third-quarter and full-year figures, China's electric sales after the incentive cuts, and hybrid growth, which could shape how quickly makers shift their lineups.

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