June may have marked a singificant trend shift for MoTown India, with sales data for the month showing a significant first for the country's carmakers, The Times of India reported on July 7.
The share of alternative-fuel passenger vehicles in India's retail car market crossed the 40% mark for the first time in June, underlining a shift in consumer buying behaviour as motorists increasingly opt for vehicles with lower running costs amid a rapidly evolving fuel scene.
Data released by the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) showed compressed natural gas (CNG), hybrid and electric vehicles together accounted for 40.2% of passenger vehicle retail sales in June, compared with 33.3% in the same month last year.
The share also improved from 38.02% recorded in May, pushing the combined contribution of petrol and diesel models below 60% for the first time.
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CNG vehicles continued to dominate the alternative-fuel segment, contributing nearly a quarter of overall passenger vehicle retail sales.
Hybrid models accounted for more than 8% of the market, while electric vehicles (EVs) contributed close to 8%, reflecting growing consumer acceptance of newer powertrain technologies across price segments.
The shift came during a record month for the passenger vehicle industry. Retail sales climbed 28.6% from a year earlier to 4,10,853 units, making it the strongest June performance on record.
The growth was supported by healthy customer enquiries, improved vehicle availability and continued momentum in demand despite price revisions announced by several manufacturers at the beginning of June.
