Assam’s car market is shrinking, but its EV sales keep climbing

Assam’s overall vehicle market has been cooling for two years running, but one segment is bucking the trend entirely. After a strong 26.6% surge in new vehicle registrations across all fuel types in 2023, the state’s automobile market declined by 3.6% in 2024 and a further 5.4% in 2025. Yet through that slowdown, the share of electric vehicles among new registrations kept climbing.

Electric vehicles accounted for 15.7% of all new vehicle registrations in Assam in April, rising to 19.4% in May and 19.6% in June — figures shared by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who wrote on X that “Assam has recorded close to 20% EV penetration in new vehicle registrations, reflecting the state’s strong push towards green mobility through improved charging infrastructure, affordable tariffs, reliable power and supportive policies.”

The pattern suggests consumers are increasingly choosing EVs even as overall demand for vehicles softens. Sarma attributed the shift to the state’s expanding EV charging network, affordable electricity tariffs, reliable power supply and government policies aimed at encouraging the transition to electric mobility, adding that the shift would help lower crude oil imports, improve environmental outcomes, and let middle-class families save on daily expenses.

The state government has identified green mobility as a key component of its climate and sustainability agenda, with officials saying the long-term aim is to build an ecosystem supporting electric mobility through better charging infrastructure and dependable power supply, positioning Assam as a leader in clean transportation in India’s northeast.