Gas cars fall below 50% of global new car sales for the first time
Gas cars are now a minority of the world’s new car sales. Gasoline-only vehicles made up 49% of global new-vehicle sales in the first half of 2026, down from 73% in 2021, according to Mobility Global data first reported by Nikkei.
It’s the first time on record that they’ve been under half. But there’s a catch: most of the cars taking their place still have a gas tank.