Car retail sales hit record July high; alternative fuels gain

In July, more people in India bought cars and other vehicles than ever before for that month.

Passenger car sales went up by about 19 percent compared with last year.

People in villages and small towns bought even more vehicles than people in big cities.

Cars that run on electricity or other fuels instead of petrol are becoming very popular.

These alternative-fuel cars now make up almost the same share of sales as petrol cars.

Electric vehicles hit a new record, with more than 327,000 sold across all categories.

Motorcycles, three-wheelers and tractors also had their best July ever.

Dealers are a little worried, though, because they have too many unsold cars in stock.

They asked car makers to send fewer vehicles to dealerships.

Most dealers still think the next few months will be good because of festivals like Onam and Raksha Bandhan.