Gasoline-only vehicles accounted for just 49% of global new-car sales in the first half of 2026, marking the first time on record that their share has fallen below 50%.
That is a major shift from 73% in 2021, according to Mobility Global data.
The decline does not mean most new cars are fully electric, however. Much of the lost share has gone to hybrids, which still use combustion engines.
EVs and Hybrids Keep Growing
Battery-electric vehicles reached 6.87 million sales in the first half of 2026, up 12%, giving them a 17% share of the global market.
Conventional hybrids performed even better, reaching 7.27 million sales, up 10%, and accounting for 18% of new vehicles sold.
The remainder was made up of diesel vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and smaller alternative-fuel categories.
That means about 83% of new vehicles sold globally still had some form of combustion engine, even though gas-only models are now below half of the market.
Gas-Only Sales Are Falling Faster Than the Overall Market
The global car market itself shrank by around 5% in the first half of 2026.
Gasoline-only sales fell faster than that, which pushed their market share down from 52% to 49% in just one year.
China recorded the biggest drop in gas-only vehicle sales, falling 26%, while Europe declined 13%.
EV Growth Remains Strong Outside the US
Battery-electric sales increased sharply in several major regions. Europe recorded a 32% increase to 1.81 million units, while Southeast Asia jumped 81% to 350,000 units.
EV sales in Oceania more than doubled to around 110,000 vehicles. The US has been a weaker spot for EV growth, but hybrids continue to expand there.
Hybrid vehicles accounted for a record 16.3% of US sales in Q2 2026, up strongly from a year earlier.
Fuel Prices Are Also Driving the Shift
Higher oil and fuel prices have pushed more buyers toward vehicles with lower running costs.
Mobility Global associate director Yoshiaki Kawano said few buyers who switch to EVs later return to gasoline-only cars or hybrids.
He expects EV demand to increasingly come from consumer preference rather than subsidies as prices continue to fall.
Gas Cars Have Lost Ground Very Quickly
The speed of the shift is notable. Gas-only vehicles went from 73% of global sales in 2021 to 49% in the first half of 2026.
Battery-electric vehicles still represent only 17% of the market, but the broader trend is clear: the global market is moving away from vehicles powered only by gasoline, with hybrids and EVs taking a growing share.
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