Gas Cars Fall Below 50% of Global Sales — SkimNews
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Gasoline-only cars made up 49% of global new-vehicle sales in the first half of 2026, down from 73% in 2021, according to Mobility Global data reported by Nikkei.
- Battery-electric vehicles grew 12% to 6.87 million units in the first half of 2026, capturing 17% of the market, while conventional hybrids reached 7.27 million units, or 18%.
- China saw gas car sales drop 26% year-on-year, while Europe recorded an 18.6% decline in petrol car registrations through August, with battery-electrics slightly ahead of petrol models.
- Mobility Global noted that gasoline-only vehicle sales fell twice as fast as the overall car market, which shrank by about 5% globally in the first half of 2026.
- Cox Automotive reported that in the US, despite a 45% year-on-year drop in EV sales after the federal tax credit deadline, hybrid sales rose 23% and ICE share declined, indicating a broader shift away from gas-only cars.
Why it matters: The fall of gas-only cars below 50% marks a turning point in global transportation, with 83% of new vehicles still containing engines—mostly in hybrids—showing electrification is advancing even without full battery adoption. This reshapes automakers’ investment strategies and weakens oil demand long-term.
Ask SkimNews
