Technology

India Car Fuel Timeline 1991-2026: CNG, Hybrid, EV vs Petrol

In August 2026, FADA data showed alternative-fuel passenger vehicles - CNG, hybrid and electric cars combined - accounted for 41.95% of India's passenger-vehic…

Swipe to explore ›
AiTimeline Home
MARKET OPENS

Liberalisation Opens India's Car Market

Economic liberalisation began reshaping the automobile sector, gradually replacing a licensed, limited-choice market with more competition and foreign partnerships.

AiTimeline Home
CNG IN DELHI

Supreme Court-Directed CNG Conversion

Following a 1998 Supreme Court order, Delhi's public transport fleet converted to CNG by the early 2000s, making the fuel familiar to millions - though still mostly a co…

AiTimeline Home
DIESEL SHIFT

Diesel Price Deregulation

India deregulated diesel prices in October 2014, removing the structural price advantage diesel cars had long held over petrol - diesel began losing appeal in smaller ca…

AiTimeline Home
FAME I & II

FAME Scheme Launches India's EV Policy Push

FAME-I launched April 2015 (Rs 795 crore), followed by FAME-II from April 2019 to March 2024 (up to Rs 11,500 crore), supporting electric two-wheelers, buses and passeng…

AiTimeline Home
BS6 NORMS

BS6 Emission Norms Hit Diesel Economics

India shifted to Bharat Stage VI emission standards on 1 April 2020. Cleaner diesel technology became costlier, especially for small cars, and several automakers scaled…

AiTimeline Home
E20 ROADMAP + BATTERY PLI

Ethanol Roadmap and Battery Manufacturing Policy

NITI Aayog's June 2021 roadmap advanced the E20 ethanol-blending target from 2030 to 2025. The same year, the Cabinet approved an Rs 18,100 crore PLI scheme for Advanced…

AiTimeline Home
E20 ACHIEVED

India Reaches Its E20 Ethanol Milestone

Government sources confirmed India achieved 20% ethanol blending in petrol in 2025, five years ahead of the original 2030 NITI Aayog target - raising both energy-securit…

AiTimeline Home
ALT-FUEL MILESTONE

CNG + Hybrid + EV Overtake Petrol

FADA reported alternative-fuel passenger vehicles together outsold petrol cars for the first time - 41.95% versus petrol's 40.85% - on a record 24,23,201-unit retail mon…

AiTimeline Home

Want the full timeline?

Read the complete story, FAQs and key facts.

AiTimeline Home