Gasoline-Only Cars Fall Below 50% of Global New-Car Sales as China Leads the Decline

The global auto industry has reached a historic turning point.

In the first half of 2026, gasoline-only vehicles accounted for just 49% of global new-vehicle sales, marking the first time their share has fallen below half since the mass adoption of automobiles began.

The decline has been particularly sharp in China, where gasoline-only vehicle sales fell 26% year over year, the steepest decline among major markets.

Gasoline-Only Vehicles Fall Below 50%

Data from Mobility Global shows that global sales of gasoline-only vehicles fell 10% year over year to approximately 20.25 million units between January and June 2026.

Their share of global new-vehicle sales dropped from 52% a year earlier to 49%.

The change is even more striking when compared with 2021, when gasoline-only vehicles accounted for 73% of global new-car sales.

In less than five years, gasoline-only vehicles have therefore lost 24 percentage points of market share.

The figures do not mean that all vehicles using gasoline have fallen below 50%. Hybrid vehicles are excluded from the gasoline-only category and remain a major part of the global market.

China Sees the Sharpest Decline

China stands out in the latest data.

Gasoline-only vehicle sales in the country fell 26% during the first half of 2026, compared with a 13% decline in Europe.

The shift has been developing for years.

China's electric-vehicle market has expanded rapidly, with battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and range-extended vehicles becoming increasingly common.

The International Energy Agency estimates that nearly 55% of new cars sold in China were electric in 2025. More than 13 million electric cars were sold in the country that year, accounting for roughly six out of every 10 electric cars sold globally.

This has fundamentally changed the competitive landscape for conventional gasoline vehicles.

Electric Cars Continue to Gain Ground

Electric vehicles have been among the biggest beneficiaries of the shift.

Global battery-electric vehicle sales reached approximately 6.87 million units in the first half of 2026, up 12% year over year. Their share of global new-vehicle sales rose to 17%, three percentage points higher than a year earlier.

China remained the world's largest electric-vehicle market, with around 3.44 million battery-electric vehicles sold during the first half of the year.

However, China's EV sales themselves declined about 3% year over year after tax incentives were tightened from January.

Europe has emerged as a particularly strong growth market. EV sales there increased 32% to about 1.81 million units during the first half, while Southeast Asian sales jumped 81% to around 350,000 units.

Hybrids Are Also Taking Market Share

The transition is not simply a race between gasoline cars and battery-electric vehicles.

Hybrid vehicles are also growing rapidly.

Global hybrid sales rose about 10% year over year to 7.27 million units during the first half of 2026, giving hybrids an 18% share of global new-vehicle sales — slightly above the 17% share held by battery-electric vehicles.

This suggests that many consumers are choosing an intermediate path rather than moving directly from conventional gasoline vehicles to fully electric cars.

The broader trend is therefore a decline in the dominance of conventional internal-combustion powertrains, rather than the immediate disappearance of gasoline-powered vehicles.

Higher Fuel Prices Add to the Pressure

Energy prices have also played a role in the latest shift.

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East pushed fuel prices higher, increasing the running costs of conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles.

For consumers who drive long distances, fuel expenses represent a significant long-term ownership cost.

As electric vehicles become more affordable and electricity remains cheaper than gasoline in many markets, higher fuel prices can further strengthen the economic case for EVs.

China's Growing Influence

The transition is also reshaping the global auto industry.

Chinese automakers have become major players in the international electric-vehicle market. According to the IEA, Chinese manufacturers account for a substantial share of global battery-electric and plug-in hybrid sales.

Chinese companies are increasingly exporting electric vehicles, batteries and related technologies to markets outside China.

This means China's transformation from a major automobile market into a major electric-vehicle manufacturing and export center is becoming an increasingly important part of the global industry story.

Does This Mean Gasoline Cars Are Disappearing?

Not immediately.

Gasoline-powered vehicles still have major advantages in markets where charging infrastructure is limited. They also remain attractive to consumers concerned about charging time, long-distance travel, extreme weather or vehicle prices.

The more likely scenario is a gradual decline rather than an abrupt disappearance.

Gasoline vehicles may increasingly move from being the default choice to being one of several competing powertrain technologies.

The IEA expects EV sales to continue gaining ground over the coming decade. In its exploratory scenarios, electric vehicles could account for around half of global car sales by 2035, while the share of conventional internal-combustion vehicles continues to decline.

Conclusion

The fall of gasoline-only vehicles below 50% of global new-car sales is more than a statistical milestone.

Their share has fallen from 73% in 2021 to 49% in the first half of 2026, marking one of the most significant changes in the modern automobile market.

China's 26% decline in gasoline-only vehicle sales is particularly striking, highlighting how quickly consumer demand has shifted toward electric and electrified vehicles.

The final winner between battery-electric, hybrid and other emerging technologies has yet to be determined.

But one trend is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore:the era in which gasoline-powered cars dominated the global new-vehicle market is coming to an end, and the automotive industry has entered a new era of powertrain competition.