Gas-Only Cars Drop to 49% of Global Sales in First Half
Gasoline-only vehicles fell below half of global new-car sales for the first time on record, making up 49% of worldwide sales in the first half of 2026, according to Mobility Global. That marks a 24-point collapse from the 73% share held in 2021.
Mobility Global, the data firm that was called S&P Global Mobility before spinning off from S&P Global this year, put gasoline-only volume at 20.25 million units for the January-to-June period, a 10% drop from a year earlier. The segment's share fell three points over the past year, moving from 52% down to 49%.
The overall car market contracted roughly 5% in the first half, the IEA reported, meaning gas-only volume fell at roughly twice the pace of the market.
Battery-electric sales climbed 12% to 6.87 million units for a 17% share, up three points, Mobility Global reported. Conventional hybrids added 10% to reach 7.27 million units, a share of 18%, while diesel, plug-in hybrids and minor fuels account for the remaining 16%.
The acceleration coincided with higher fuel prices, which spiked amid the Middle East conflict as buyers chased lower running costs.
The declines are concentrated in two markets. Mobility Global's data has gas-car sales down 26% in China and 13% in Europe. In the EU, ACEA registration data shows battery-electric cars outselling petrol through August of this year, at 1,641,333 against petrol's 1,634,733, as petrol registrations fell 18.6%.
BEV sales rose 32% across Europe, reaching 1.81 million, and climbed 81% in Southeast Asia to 350,000 units, while Oceania volume more than doubled to hit 110,000, according to Mobility Global. China's BEV volume slipped 3% to 3.44 million, still half the world total, while North America fell 15%.
"Few EV buyers go back to gasoline cars or hybrids," said Yoshiaki Kawano, an associate director at Mobility Global. He expects demand driven by "genuine consumer needs rather than subsidies" to grow as prices fall.
The milestone carries a caveat. The 49% figure covers only cars that run on gasoline alone. Hybrids outsold BEVs over the six-month period, by a margin of 7.27 million to 6.87 million.
Counting every vehicle that still ships with an engine, roughly 83% of new cars sold globally this year burn fuel. The number is also a six-month figure taken during an oil shock, leaving the full-year result unsettled.
