EV vs Petrol-Diesel: Why Electric Vehicles Are Still Losing the Race Despite Rising Demand

Even though electric vehicles were introduced to reduce rising pollution from fuel-based vehicles, the latest data shows that EVs continue to lag far behind petrol and diesel models. Despite government subsidies and growing awareness, the highest sales are still dominated by petrol and diesel vehicles. EV demand is increasing, but the rise is noticeable mainly in three-wheelers, goods carriers, e-buses, and e-rickshaws—and even there, the growth is very small compared to fuel-powered vehicles.

Sales data analysed by think tank EnviroCatalysts shows the gap clearly. Between January and September 2024, 2.7 lakh petrol two-wheelers were registered compared to just 26,613 electric ones. In the same period of 2025, petrol two-wheeler registrations rose to 3.2 lakh, while EV two-wheelers only marginally increased to 27,028.

The same trend continues across other categories. E-bus registrations increased from 779 to 1,093 this year, while diesel buses went from 686 to 730. In the three-wheeler category, EV registrations rose from 8,379 to 11,331. However, the subcategory of electric passenger three-wheelers showed zero registrations until September this year, compared to 1,198 last year.

In the four-wheeler segment, petrol vehicles continue to dominate by a huge margin. Private electric car registrations increased from 3,848 to 9,905, but the share is still very small compared to petrol cars. Only 466 electric passenger vehicles were registered this year, compared to 1,748 last year.

Why are EV sales not growing fast?
Experts point to two major reasons.

First, maintenance costs for EVs are very high. Ankit Sharma, an e-auto driver and president of the Delhi Auto Drivers Association, says that critical spare parts like controllers and batteries are only available through manufacturers and cost more than ₹1 lakh. This makes EV maintenance far more expensive than CNG autos, slowing EV adoption among drivers.

Second, policy and infrastructure gaps continue to hold EVs back. Sunil Dahiya, principal analyst at EnviroCatalysts, says that while EV numbers are rising, petrol and diesel vehicles are growing much faster. He believes that stronger EV-focused policies and better charging infrastructure are essential to boost sales in the coming years.