# Navratri 2026 EV Retail Sales Rise 26.78% as EV Share Tops 10% > EV retail sales climbed 26.78% to about 1.17 lakh units during Navratri 2026, taking electric vehicle share past 10% of all vehicle retails even as the overall market slipped 6.52%. - **Author**: Prakash Reddy - **Published**: 2026-10-21 - **Modified**: 2026-10-25 - **Category**: news - **URL**: https://bestev.in/news/navratri-2026-ev-retail-sales-rise-26-78-as-ev-share-tops-10-20261021 --- Electric vehicles were the one bright spot in an otherwise soft Navratri for Indian auto retail. Provisional dealer-body data released on 21 October 2026 shows EV retail sales rising **26.78% year on year to roughly 1.17 lakh units**, lifting EV share to about **10.5% of all vehicle retails**, up from around 7.7% a year earlier. The wider market did not keep pace. Total vehicle retail across categories fell **6.52% to 11.23 lakh units** during the ten-day Navratri window, which ran from 11 to 19 October 2026. ## Navratri 2026 vehicle retail: segment scorecard | Segment | Navratri 2026 | Change | |---|---|---| | Total vehicle retail | 11.23 lakh | -6.52% | | Passenger vehicles | 1.83 lakh | -21.91% | | Two-wheelers | 8.34 lakh | -2.79% | | Three-wheelers | 45,735 | -7.51% | | Commercial vehicles | 35,618 | +1.12% | | **EVs (all segments)** | **~1.17 lakh** | **+26.78%** | | Electric two-wheelers | 75,758 | +33.41% | | Electric passenger vehicles | 12,305 | +25.97% | | Electric three-wheelers | 28,086 | +10.51% | | Electric commercial vehicles | 1,288 | +96.04% | *Figures are provisional dealer retails. EV segment totals are rounded.* ## EV share crosses 10% in a festive window The shift is being driven less by passenger cars than by electric two- and three-wheelers, which together made up close to 90% of all EV retails in the period. Electric two-wheelers alone moved **75,758 units**, a 33.41% jump, while electric three-wheelers added **28,086 units**, up 10.51%. Both segments grew even as their petrol and diesel counterparts shrank, which is the clearest sign yet that buyers in the scooter and last-mile segments are switching on price rather than novelty. For a deeper look at how individual electric scooters are positioned, see our [electric scooter hub](/electric-scooters). ## Electric cars: 12,305 units and a 25.97% jump Electric passenger vehicle retails rose to **12,305 units** from 9,768 a year ago. That is a slower growth rate than the two-wheeler segment but a meaningful one for a festive period that was weak for cars overall, with total passenger vehicle retails down nearly 22%. The divergence matters. Car buyers deferred purchases after a record festive season last year, but those who did buy showed a clear willingness to go electric, helped by a wider choice of models between INR 8 lakh and INR 25 lakh. Our [electric cars section](/electric-cars) tracks range, battery size and on-road pricing across these models. ## Electric commercial vehicles nearly double The smallest base produced the biggest percentage gain. Electric commercial vehicle retails rose to **1,288 units from 657**, a 96.04% increase. Light electric trucks and cargo three-wheelers are being pulled into service by e-commerce, FMCG and intra-city logistics fleets looking to cut per-kilometre cost. ## Why the overall market fell Three factors explain the headline decline: 1. **A high base.** Navratri 2025 coincided with the GST 2.0 rate reset, which pulled forward a large block of pent-up demand into the festive window. 2. **One fewer selling day.** Navratri spanned 11 days in 2025 and 10 days in 2026. 3. **Weak passenger vehicle sentiment.** Car retails fell 21.91%, the sharpest drop of any high-volume segment. Measured against Navratri 2024 instead, total retails were still up **26.76%**, from 8.86 lakh to 11.23 lakh units, which suggests the underlying market is healthy rather than contracting. ## What it means for Dhanteras and Diwali Dealer sentiment going into the Dhanteras-to-Diwali stretch is cautiously positive. Improving affordability, stable interest rates and a broader EV line-up are expected to keep electric momentum ahead of the market. For buyers, the practical reading is simple: EV discounting and financing offers are likely to stay aggressive through the festive quarter, particularly in the INR 1-1.5 lakh scooter bracket and the sub-INR 15 lakh electric car bracket. ## Frequently asked questions **How many EVs were sold in Navratri 2026?** About 1.17 lakh electric vehicles were retailed across all segments, a 26.78% increase over Navratri 2025. **What was the EV share of total vehicle sales during Navratri 2026?** Roughly 10.5%, compared with about 7.7% in the same festive period last year. **Did electric car sales grow during Navratri 2026?** Yes. Electric passenger vehicle retails rose 25.97% to 12,305 units, even as total passenger vehicle retails fell 21.91%. **Why did overall vehicle sales fall during Navratri 2026?** A high base created by last year's GST rate cuts, one fewer festive day, and a sharp drop in passenger vehicle retails. --- - [More news articles](https://bestev.in/news/category/news) - [All articles](https://bestev.in/news)