TIRUCHY: On Tiruchy's streets, change is no longer subtle - it is electric. In a significant shift, electric vehicle registrations in the city surpassed that of diesel vehicles for the first time in 2025. At 29,298, petrol vehicle registrations almost stagnated, indicating that the category’s growth has plateaued while still dominating the market. Data from Tiruchy's three Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) show that overall vehicle registrations - both in the domestic and commercial segments - increased to 37,545 in calendar year 2025 from 33,648 in 2023, reflecting steady growth in personal mobility.
The composition of the growth, however, has a pronounced change. Electric vehicle registrations more than doubled - from 1,711 in 2023 to nearly 4,000 in 2025 - while hybrid vehicles also recorded consistent gains, rising to 772 units from 607 in 2023. Diesel, once a preferred choice for cars and commercial users, appears to be steadily losing ground.
Automobile dealers attribute the transition to rising fuel costs, tightening emission norms and growing regulatory uncertainty around diesel vehicles, particularly after restrictions imposed in cities like New Delhi. "Customers are increasingly wary of diesel," said T Suresh Vadivelan, sales manager at a leading automobile showroom in Karumandapam.
"Petrol still dominates overall car sales and diesel continues to be ahead of electric vehicles within the car segment, but the diesel demand has dropped sharply. Even taxi operators are shifting to petrol and hybrid models, as diesel resale values are falling and the cost advantage has narrowed," he said, adding that the emergence of hybrid and CNG options also dented diesel vehicle sales.
The EV category surge in Tiruchy is being driven largely by two-wheelers, which account for the bulk of electric registrations, say dealers. "Electric scooters have eaten into petrol two-wheeler sales," remarked T Vetrivel, sales manager with a domestic electric two-wheeler brand. "Our monthly bookings have gone up from about 25 units to nearly 45 in Tiruchy. For daily commuters, lower running costs make EVs an easy choice," he said, adding that the state government's decision to extend tax exemptions for EVs till 2027 is expected to accelerate adoption.
Infrastructure gaps for the vehicle category, however, remain a concern. "There are only around 20 public charging stations in the city," said T Manish Rajan, sales manager with another EV two-wheeler brand. "Sales have almost doubled compared to last year but charging infrastructure needs to expand rapidly to sustain this growth," he added. Traffic activist M Raj Kumar echoed the concern.
"The rise in EV adoption is encouraging but infrastructure and public awareness must grow alongside sales. There is still uncertainty among buyers regarding long-term resale value and battery life," he said.
Break-up of sales in Tiruchy by powertrain category
Year Petrol Diesel Electric CNG/Hybrid Total
2023 28,502 2,951 1,711 484 33,648
2024 29,198 2,902 2,068 607 34,775
2025 29,298 3,497 3,978 772 37,545