Chennai: Electric vehicle (EV) sales defied the usual seasonal slowdown in April, holding on to the momentum typically seen in March despite a marginal sequential dip.Total registrations of battery-powered vehicles stood at 2.39 lakh units in April 2026, down from a record 2.82 lakh units in March this year, but still the second-highest monthly tally on record. Notably, April volumes also surpassed the 2.37 lakh units recorded during the festive peak in Oct 2025, according to Vahan data.Segment-wise, the trend remained mixed. Electric three-wheelers and passenger vehicles showed resilience, while electric two-wheelers saw a sharp correction after their March peak.Electric two-wheelers, which account for the bulk of EV sales, witnessed a significant moderation, with volumes falling to 1.49 lakh units in April from 1.92 lakh units in March. Their share of overall EV volumes also dropped to 62% from 68% in the previous month. Additionally, the penetration of e-2Ws declined to about 8% in Apr from around 10% in March. In contrast, electric three-wheelers posted a modest sequential increase, with volumes rising to around 64,550 units from 63,550 units in March, indicating growing demand in the last-mile mobility segment. Electric passenger vehicle sales slipped marginally to 23,227 units in April from 23,796 units in March. However, penetration improved to 5.8% from 5.3%, while volumes remained well above the 19,252 units recorded in Oct 2025. Among manufacturers, Tata Motors retained its leadership in the electric car segment, with registrations of 8,501 units in Apr, compared with 8,659 units in March. Competition for the second spot remained intense, with Mahindra taking the No. 2 position at 5,174 units, followed closely by JSW MG Motor at 4,978 units.Meanwhile, Vietnamese automaker VinFast continued to scale up, with registrations rising to 1,231 units in April from 739 units in March, signalling growing traction in the market.
