Every EV segment grew and gained share. Electric cars rose 94.6% to 36,108 units, so roughly one in twelve new cars sold in September was electric. Three-wheelers are now overwhelmingly electric. Buyers have moved from asking whether to go electric to asking which model to buy.
September 2026 by the numbers
| Segment | Sep 2025 | Sep 2026 | YoY | Penetration 2025 → 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric two-wheelers | 109,882 | 207,314 | +88.7% | 8.2% → 11.6% |
| Electric three-wheelers | 61,434 | 86,024 | +40.0% | 56.7% → 64.9% |
| Electric cars (PV) | 18,559 | 36,108 | +94.6% | 5.7% → 8.5% |
| Electric commercial vehicles | 1,622 | 4,188 | +158.2% | 2.16% → 4.04% |
| Total | 191,497 | 333,634 | +74.2% | — |
Who is winning
Established manufacturers lead both segments. In two-wheelers, TVS, Bajaj and Hero together hold about 61%, while Ola Electric, once the leader, is at 6.5%. In cars, VinFast reaching 8.2% shows how quickly a new entrant can take share in a market this young.
The search paradox: fewer generic searches, more specific ones
| Search term (India) | Oct 2021 | Oct 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| “electric car” | 24 | 18 | about −25% |
| “ev scooter” | 3 | 16 | about 5x |
| “tata ev” | 15 | 42 | about 2.8x |
Sales doubled while generic “electric car” searches fell about a quarter over five years. When a category is new, people search for the category. When it matures, they search for models, prices and comparisons. The 30-day rising queries confirm it:
| Rising query (India, past 30 days) | Change |
|---|---|
| mg hector tomahawk ev bookings | +3,950% |
| tata aeris ev / mahindra thar ev spied / 2027 tata nexon ev spied | Breakout |
| longest range electric car in india | +90% |
| byd seal | +80% |
| best electric car under 10 lakh | +50% |
Range and price under ₹10 lakh are the two questions that keep coming back.
What's driving it
Navratri and the run-up to Diwali fell in September–October. EV buyers are now part of the festive rush, not separate from it.
The rising queries are mostly about mainstream models and price bands, not premium cars.
Electric commercial vehicles more than doubled, and searches like “bhopal 5000 ev bus news” show the public-transport side growing too.
With nearly two in three new three-wheelers electric, EVs are the default in that segment.
India's EV shift is real and accelerating, but it is still a minority of cars and two-wheelers.
Penetration of 8.5% in cars and 11.6% in two-wheelers is a record, not a majority. The strongest sign of maturity is in search behaviour: buyers now research specific models, range and price.
What to watch
- October (Diwali month). Whether it beats September's record.
- Charging coverage by state. Our upcoming state-by-state analysis will test whether infrastructure is keeping up.
- Ownership costs. See Are High-Mileage EVs Actually Reliable? for the long-term reliability evidence.
Methodology
Sales are FADA retail registrations for September 2025 and 2026 as reported by Autocar Professional; brand shares are our calculation from those units. Search data come from Google Trends, India, weekly over five years and 30-day related queries, accessed 23 October 2026. Search values are relative (0–100) within the query set.
Frequently asked questions
How many EVs were sold in India in September 2026?
333,634 electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, cars and commercial vehicles were retailed, according to FADA. That is a record and 74% more than in September 2025.
What share of new cars sold in India are electric?
8.5% of passenger-vehicle retail in September 2026, up from 5.7% a year earlier.
Which company sells the most electric cars in India?
Tata Motors, with 14,791 units and about 41% of electric car retail in September 2026, followed by Mahindra & Mahindra (21.5%) and JSW MG Motor (14.5%).
Which company sells the most electric scooters in India?
TVS Motor led electric two-wheeler retail in September 2026 with 54,037 units (about 26%), ahead of Bajaj Auto and Ather Energy.
Why are searches for ‘electric car’ lower than five years ago if sales are rising?
As a category matures, people stop searching for the category and start searching for specific models, prices and comparisons. Model-specific EV searches are rising fast while generic ‘electric car’ searches have drifted down.