Uttar Pradesh strengthened its lead in India’s electric vehicle market in August, recording 42,007 registrations and a 14.1% share of national sales, as the country’s EV adoption spread beyond traditional auto hubs. Maharashtra and Karnataka followed, while the top 10 states together accounted for nearly 72% of all EV registrations during the month.
India registered 297,820 EVs in August 2026, with Maharashtra contributing 31,773 units, Karnataka 26,597 and Tamil Nadu 24,311. Rajasthan followed with 17,058 units, while Madhya Pradesh and Bihar recorded 15,838 and 15,525 registrations, respectively.
According to a JMK Research & Analytics report based on Vahan Dashboard data, registrations covered 1,467 regional transport offices across 36 states and Union Territories. The data underline a widening geographical spread of EV adoption, but also show sharp differences in what is driving demand across regions.
Uttar Pradesh’s lead was supported by the strong presence of electric three-wheelers used for commercial and last-mile mobility, giving the state a significantly larger share of registrations than most other markets.
Maharashtra accounted for 10.67% of national EV registrations in August, while Karnataka held an 8.93% share and Tamil Nadu 8.16%. Rajasthan contributed 5.73%, followed by Madhya Pradesh at 5.32%, Bihar at 5.21%, Kerala at 4.95% and Odisha at 4.90%.
The regional numbers show another important shift. Northern and southern India each contributed around 33% of total EV registrations, but their growth engines were markedly different.
Southern states were driven primarily by private vehicle ownership and electric two-wheelers, with Karnataka emerging as the largest southern market. The report attributed Karnataka’s position to early EV policy initiatives, a strong manufacturing and startup ecosystem, extensive charging infrastructure and demand led by Bengaluru.
Northern markets, in contrast, saw a larger contribution from electric three-wheelers, reflecting their wider use in passenger transport, commercial operations and last-mile connectivity. This has helped Uttar Pradesh build scale despite differing sharply from southern states in its EV mix.
Among other large markets, Kerala registered 14,728 EVs, Odisha 14,600 and Delhi 11,644. West Bengal recorded 11,490 registrations, Telangana 11,313, Andhra Pradesh 11,286, Gujarat 11,168 and Assam 10,279.
In market-share terms, Delhi contributed 3.91%, West Bengal 3.86%, Telangana 3.80%, Andhra Pradesh 3.79%, Gujarat 3.75% and Assam 3.45%. Other states and Union Territories together accounted for 9.47%.
“The August numbers show that India’s EV market is becoming broader geographically, but not uniform in composition. Uttar Pradesh’s three-wheeler-led model and Karnataka’s two-wheeler- and private-demand-led growth underline how different state markets are reaching scale through different segments, even as EV registrations expand nationally,” said an expert tracking the sector.