India’s EV registrations hit a record 355,000 in October, up 44.88% year on year
Retail registrations climbed 44.88% year on year, but supply constraints held EV penetration below September levels.
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India recorded 355,000 EV registrations in October 2026, the highest monthly total on record and 44.88% above a year earlier, Business Standard reported. Electric car registrations did even better, up 76.47% to 37,049 units. Penetration still slipped from September across passenger vehicles, two-wheelers and three-wheelers, as supply constraints held back deliveries.
What the October EV registrations data shows
Registrations surged across all four vehicle segments, touching a record for the month, according to the report. Tata leads the electric car segment and TVS tops two-wheelers, while supply constraints limited sales despite strong demand. On Vahan figures compiled by EVreporter, electric two-wheeler registrations rose to 2,23,964 from 2,08,724 in September.
Key numbers
- 355,000: total EV retail registrations in October, a monthly record (Business Standard).
- 44.88%: year-on-year growth in registrations.
- 37,049: electric cars registered in October, up 76.47% from 20,995.
- 2,23,964: electric two-wheelers registered on Vahan data, against 2,08,724 in September (EVreporter).
- 9.7%: EV share of two-wheeler sales, down from 11.6% in September.
- 7.3%: EV share of passenger car and cab sales, down from 8.7%.
Background: why EV penetration fell
Penetration measures EVs as a share of all new vehicles. It can fall in a month when EV volumes hit a record, which means total sales grew faster than EV deliveries. Vahan data shows the pattern: EV share of two-wheeler sales fell from 11.6% in September to 9.7% in October, and in passenger cars and cabs from 8.7% to 7.3%. Business Standard points to supply constraints rather than weak demand.
Who led: Tata Motors and electric passenger vehicles
Tata Motors held 40.7% of the October market for electric cars, AutoPunditz reported. That tracker’s Vahan-based count shows 36,064 electric cars against 20,411 a year earlier. Counts differ slightly by tracker, so the retail total above and the Vahan totals will not match exactly.
What happens next
November EV registrations will show whether supply catches up with demand. Autocar Professional estimates that about 75,000 electric cars sold across November and December would take calendar 2026 to record retail sales near 375,000 units, it said. More coverage is in our Auto and EV section.
Record volumes with falling penetration mean EV demand is outrunning supply while petrol and diesel car sales grow even faster in the festive months. Buyers face waiting periods on popular models, and makers that scale output first can gain share in November.