Hybrid SUVs Overtook EVs in August Sales (49% vs 14%) — Is the EV Rush Over?

In August, hybrid SUVs took 49% of new SUV registrations, up from 25% in July, while the EV share fell from 28% to just 14%, based on market data cited in a recent Daily FT column on Sri Lanka's 2026 vehicle market. Buyers seem to be trading the 'zero fuel cost' dream for something that still runs on petrol when the battery runs low, right as new car prices climb and household budgets tighten. The hybrid camp says: no range anxiety, no hunting for a charger on the Kandy road, and resale value that a petrol or diesel buyer already understands. The EV camp says hybrids are a half-measure — you're still paying for fuel and carrying two drivetrains' worth of maintenance, and once charging infrastructure catches up the running-cost math flips hard in the EV's favour. Is this a real shift in what Sri Lankans actually want, or just this year's import taxes and exchange rate making EVs temporarily out of reach? If you bought either this year, what tipped your decision — price, charging worry, or resale value? මෙයයි ඇත්ත අත්දැකීම - ඔබ හයිබ්‍රිඩ් එකක් ගත්තාද, EV එකක්ද? මිල නිසාද තීරණය කළේ?