Commercial Vehicle Retail Sales Rise Over 5% in May

Commercial vehicle (CV) retail sales rose 5.29 per cent year-on-year to 83,823 units in May 2026, compared with 79,614 units in the same month last year, said Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) on Monday. On a sequential basis, however, volumes declined 18.33 per cent from April’s 1.03 lakh units, pointing to a slowdown in freight and logistics-related activity.

Demand patterns varied across regions, with rural markets expanding 8.10 per cent year-on-year, outpacing urban growth of 2.62 per cent. Rural areas accounted for half of total commercial vehicle retail volumes, reflecting a broader spread of freight movement beyond major urban centres.

Also read: Auto Retail Sales Hit Record High In May, Up 9.55%: FADA

In terms of performance, Tata Motors led the market with retail volumes of 29,603 units, translating into a 35.32 per cent share. Mahindra & Mahindra followed with 22,307 units, while Ashok Leyland recorded 14,812 units. VE Commercial Vehicles posted retail sales of 7,227 units, and Maruti Suzuki sold 3,636 units in the commercial vehicle segment.

Segment-wise, light commercial vehicles drove growth, rising 7.66 per cent year-on-year to 50,348 units and accounting for around 60 per cent of overall volumes. Medium commercial vehicles increased 4.71 per cent to 7,630 units, while heavy commercial vehicles saw marginal growth of 1.13 per cent to 25,797 units, suggesting stronger activity in last-mile and regional transport compared with long-haul operations.

Diesel continued to dominate the fuel mix with a share of 81.12 per cent, although this was lower than 83.50 per cent a year earlier. CNG penetration rose to 12.39 per cent, while electric commercial vehicles expanded their share to 2.86 per cent from 1.37 per cent, indicating a gradual shift towards alternative powertrains.

Dealers said that freight movement and replacement demand remained stable, although financing turnaround times, along with freight and insurance costs, continue to be areas of concern.