NEW DELHI: Alternative-fuel vehicles may have overtaken petrol cars in India-but only if hybrids are counted as alternatives. FADA’s Aug registration data showed petrol’s share of passenger-vehicle retail declining to 40.8%, while CNG, electric and hybrid vehicles together reached 41.9%.The crossover appeared to mark a significant change in India’s fuel mix, with alternatives moving ahead of petrol for the first time.A more granular analysis by JATO Dynamics, however, provides an important counterpoint. Mild and strong hybrids continue to carry petrol engines and require petrol to operate. Once these models are added back to conventional petrol vehicles, petrol-powered cars still account for approximately half the market.JATO’s fuel-wise dataset covered 3,62,763 passenger-vehicle registrations in Aug. Conventional petrol models accounted for 1,49,484 units, or 41.2%. Another 25,070 vehicles, representing 6.9%, were classified as petrol hybrids, while strong hybrids contributed 6,956 units, or 1.9%.Taken together, these three categories accounted for 1,81,510 registrations – or 50% of the market covered by JATO’s fuel-mix data.“Mild and strong hybrids use electric assistance differently, but both remain fundamentally dependent on an internal-combustion engine and petrol,” said Ravi Bhatia, president and CEO of JATO Dynamics India. “They may reduce fuel consumption, but they should not be confused with vehicles that have moved away from petrol.” The broader shift remains clear: Conventional petrol-only cars are losing share as CNG, EVs and hybrids expand.
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