India plugged in too late, nears bottom in 2025 ePV rankings, shows data

India ranks 47th in global ePV adoption in 2025 with just 4% penetration, far from its 2030 target, as infrastructure and policy gaps slow EV momentum

India is near the bottom of the global rankings for electric passenger vehicle (ePV) adoption, according to the latest research by Voronoi, based on data from the International Energy Agency and Ember. This comes despite the government’s target of a 30 per cent electric vehicle (EV) share in new vehicle sales by 2030. The Ministry of Heavy Industries now estimates ePV adoption to reach only around 10 per cent, suggesting the target may be overly ambitious.

 

In 2025, electric cars comprised just 4 per cent of all new car sales in India, ranking the country 47th out of 51, just above South Africa and Chile. In 2019, India had virtually no electric cars on the road, according to the data.

 

Voronoi’s estimates include both battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid EVs. Based on Vahan registration numbers, India registered 176,000 electric cars in 2025 out of a total of 4.5 million new cars, giving EVs a 3.7 per cent share of sales.

 

By contrast, Norway led global adoption, with 95 per cent of new cars sold in 2025 being electric, up from 56 per cent in 2019. This rapid adoption was driven by policy incentives, tax exemptions, and a widespread charging infrastructure.

 

India’s neighbour Nepal, despite smaller volumes, has performed impressively, with EVs accounting for 73 per cent of new car sales in 2025, up from 56 per cent in 2019, placing it second globally.

 

China ranked eighth, with EV sales rising from 5 per cent of new car sales in 2019 to 53 per cent in 2025. As the world’s second-largest car market, China sold an estimated 13.2 million electric cars in 2025, making it the largest EV market globally.

 

The US has been a slow starter. Electric car adoption there reached just 10 per cent in 2025, or around 1.6 million vehicles, ranking the country 35th. Adoption may slow further under President Donald Trump’s reduction of EV incentives. In 2019, US adoption was only 2 per cent.

 

Europe has seen widespread growth in EV adoption, with the Netherlands at 56 per cent penetration, Belgium at 43 per cent, and the UK at 33 per cent.

 

In India, several bottlenecks continue to hinder EV adoption. A lack of affordable, widespread charging infrastructure and limited policy support for home charging remain major obstacles. Consumer choice is also constrained, with few EV models available across brands.

 

However, innovations such as battery-as-a-service, introduced by JSW MG Motor and now Maruti Suzuki India for the eVitara, could boost adoption in 2026 by lowering the high upfront cost of EV ownership.