NEW DELHI — Electric vehicle retail sales in India jumped 52.9% year over year to a record 298,448 units in August 2026, while overall EV penetration rose to 12.3% from 9.5% a year earlier, according to data released Tuesday by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations.
All four EV segments — two-wheelers, three-wheelers, passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles — posted their highest-ever August retail sales, FADA said.
Electric two-wheeler sales rose 67.05% year over year to 183,204 units in August, although they declined 10.35% from 204,362 units in July. TVS Motor led the segment with 48,938 units, followed by Bajaj Auto with 41,114 and Ather Energy with 28,757.
Ola Electric sold 13,852 units, down about 29% from a year earlier.
Electric two-wheelers accounted for 10.7% of the segment, up from 7.7% in August 2025.
Electric three-wheeler sales increased 25.28% year over year to 79,846 units, with penetration rising to 65.3% from 56.6%. Bajaj Auto led the category with 13,833 units, followed by Mahindra Last Mile Mobility with 12,806 and TVS Motor with 4,415.
The electric commercial vehicle segment recorded the fastest growth, with sales nearly tripling to 4,702 units from 1,631 in August 2025. Market penetration increased to 5.18% from 2.06%.
Tata Motors led the electric commercial vehicle market with 1,416 units, followed by Euler Motors with 849 and Sany Heavy Industry India with 605.
Electric passenger vehicle sales climbed 51.89% year over year to 30,696 units, while penetration improved to 7.6% from 5.8%.
Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles remained the market leader with 13,158 units, followed by Mahindra & Mahindra with 6,464 and JSW MG Motor India with 4,622. New entrants VinFast Auto India and Tesla India Motors and Energy sold 2,199 and 116 units, respectively.
FADA President Sai Giridhar said August 2026 marked the strongest August on record for electric mobility in India.
“The clear standout is Electric Commercial Vehicles, which touched an all-time monthly high of 4,702 units — the single best month in our entire series — nearly trebling year-on-year to a 5.18 per cent share, as fleet electrification moves decisively from pilots to purchase orders,” Giridhar said.
He said electric two-wheelers continued to maintain penetration above 10% even in a non-festive month, while electric three-wheelers remained heavily electrified with a 65.3% share.
“What is most telling is the shape of the trend. Even as overall auto retail sits well below last year’s festive peaks, every EV category is holding within touching distance of a record set in just the last nine months,” Giridhar said.
“This is no longer a subsidy story; it is running-cost economics, expanding charging infrastructure and maturing consumer confidence, supported by PM E-DRIVE and progressive state policies,” he added. (Source: IANS)
