Do Modern Cars Use Combustion Engines? The State of the Powertrain in 2025

Yes — most modern cars still use internal combustion engines (ICE), either on their own or as part of a hybrid system. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are growing fast and now account for roughly one in five new car sales worldwide, but the global fleet and the majority of new sales in many markets still rely on combustion. Below is a clear look at what powers today’s cars, how the mix is changing, and where it’s headed.

What Counts as a Combustion Engine Today

In passenger cars, a combustion engine typically burns gasoline or diesel to create mechanical power. Modern engines are far cleaner and more efficient than in decades past thanks to turbocharging, direct fuel injection, advanced aftertreatment (catalytic converters, particulate filters, SCR), and software controls. Beyond conventional gasoline and diesel, some markets widely use ethanol blends (like E85 in the U.S. or hydrous ethanol in Brazil), compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and increasingly renewable drop-in fuels such as HVO. These all still count as combustion.

The Main Propulsion Types on the Market

To understand how common combustion remains, it helps to break down the main powertrain types sold today and whether they include an engine.

• ICE-only (gasoline/diesel): Uses a combustion engine exclusively; still the single largest slice of global sales and the vast majority of the global car fleet.
• 48V mild hybrid (MHEV): A conventional combustion engine with a small electric motor and 48-volt battery that assists and recovers energy; still engine-led.
• Hybrid (HEV): Combines a combustion engine with a larger electric motor and battery; cannot plug in; popular in markets like Japan and the U.S.; still includes an engine.
• Plug-in hybrid (PHEV): Has both an engine and a larger battery you can charge; can drive electric for short trips, then switch to the engine.
• Battery-electric (BEV): Fully electric with no combustion engine; powered solely by batteries and electric motors.
• Fuel-cell electric (FCEV): Electric drivetrain powered by hydrogen fuel cells; no combustion engine and very limited market presence.

Only BEVs and FCEVs eliminate combustion entirely. ICE-only, mild hybrids, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids all use a combustion engine, even if electricity assists or sometimes drives the wheels.

Market Snapshot: Where Combustion Still Dominates — and Where It Doesn’t

The balance between engines and motors varies by region. BEV adoption surged through 2023–2024, but combustion (often paired with hybridization) remains dominant in most places. Here’s a high-level view of the current picture.

• Global: BEV and PHEV combined reached roughly one-fifth of new car sales in 2024; ICE-only and non-plug-in hybrids still make up the majority of new sales and the overwhelming majority of cars on the road.
• China: The world’s EV leader by volume and share; new energy vehicles (BEV+PHEV) climbed to well over a third of new sales in 2024, yet combustion remains substantial in new sales and dominant in the in-use fleet.
• Europe: BEV share fluctuated around the mid-teens in 2024, with PHEVs adding several more points; gasoline remains the single biggest fuel type, diesel has declined, and hybrids are growing rapidly.
• United States: BEVs held roughly high single-digit share in 2024, PHEVs a bit lower, and non-plug-in hybrids rose to around a tenth of sales; ICE-only vehicles still represented about four-fifths of new sales.
• Japan: Hybrids dominate new sales; BEVs remain a small fraction; most new cars still include a combustion engine (often operating in efficient Atkinson-cycle hybrid systems).
• India: ICE (mostly gasoline, plus CNG) is dominant; BEV share is in the low single digits but growing from a small base.
• Brazil: Flex-fuel ICE vehicles that run on gasoline/ethanol blends are common; hybrids are rising; BEVs remain a small but expanding niche.

In short, combustion engines are still standard equipment in most new cars and nearly all cars on the road. Electric adoption is accelerating, but the turnover of the global fleet takes time.

Why Automakers Still Build Combustion Engines

Despite the momentum behind electrification, there are practical and economic reasons why combustion engines remain prevalent in modern cars.

• Affordability: ICE and hybrid models generally cost less upfront than comparable BEVs, especially in markets with limited incentives.
• Infrastructure: Fueling networks for gasoline/diesel are universal; public charging density, grid capacity, and home charging access vary widely by region and housing type.
• Use cases: Long-distance driving, towing, extreme temperatures, and commercial needs can still favor ICE or hybrid solutions for now.
• Regulatory flexibility: Many standards are technology-neutral, allowing automakers to meet fleet targets with a mix of efficiency improvements, hybrids, PHEVs, and BEVs.
• Profit mix: High-margin trucks and SUVs — many still engine-led — remain crucial to automaker finances, particularly in North America.

These factors help explain why the transition is incremental: hybrids and more efficient ICEs act as bridges while charging and battery supply chains scale up.

How Regulations Are Steering the Shift

Policy is pushing the market toward zero emissions over the next decade, even as combustion engines continue in the near term.

• European Union: A 2035 target effectively requires new cars to be zero-emission at the tailpipe, with a narrow pathway for vehicles running exclusively on certified e-fuels; Euro 7 standards (from late decade) tighten testing and add brake/tire particle rules.
• United Kingdom: A binding Zero Emission Vehicle mandate ramps automaker targets through the 2020s to 100% zero-emission new car sales by 2035, with interim quotas.
• United States: Federal greenhouse-gas rules finalized in 2024 for model years 2027–2032 strongly encourage higher EV and hybrid shares; California and several states adopt rules targeting 100% zero-emission new car sales by 2035.
• Canada: National regulation phases in ZEV sales requirements through 2035, when all new light-duty vehicles must be zero-emission.
• China: Dual-credit and NEV policies continue to drive high BEV/PHEV adoption; long-term planning envisions a majority of sales being NEVs by the mid-2030s, with hybrids covering much of the remainder.
• Japan and others: Strategies emphasize “100% electrified” sales in the 2030s, counting hybrids alongside BEVs and FCEVs; outright ICE bans are less common but pressure on tailpipe emissions is rising.

The regulatory trajectory is clear: combustion’s share in new sales will keep shrinking, especially after 2030, even if engines remain embedded in hybrids for some years.

What “Modern” Combustion Looks Like

Today’s combustion engines are far from old-tech. They’re increasingly software-defined, sensor-rich, and designed to operate efficiently — often in concert with electric assistance.

• Efficiency architectures: Miller/Atkinson cycles, variable valve timing/lift, downsizing with turbocharging, and high compression ratios.
• Electrification: 48V systems, belt-integrated starter-generators, and robust stop-start to cut idle fuel use.
• Clean-up hardware: Gasoline particulate filters (GPF), diesel particulate filters (DPF), selective catalytic reduction (SCR), and advanced EGR.
• Alternative fuels: Flex-fuel gasoline-ethanol systems, CNG/LPG, renewable diesels (HVO), and pilot projects for synthetic e-fuels — still niche and supply-constrained.
• Thermal and control tech: Sophisticated engine mapping, thermal management, and predictive controls tied to navigation and driver-assist systems.

These advancements mean modern ICE and hybrid cars are markedly cleaner and more efficient than prior generations, even as regulators ratchet standards higher.

Outlook for the Next Decade

Expect EV shares to continue climbing globally, led by China and increasingly Europe, with the U.S. and other regions catching up as charging expands and costs fall. Hybrids — both non-plug-in and plug-in — are likely to remain strong as a transitional technology through the 2020s. Combustion engines won’t vanish overnight: they will persist in hybrids and in specific use cases, and they will dominate the in-use fleet well into the 2030s due to slow fleet turnover. The tipping point for new sales, however, is approaching in many markets as policy, product variety, and total cost of ownership trends favor electric.

Summary

Modern cars still overwhelmingly use combustion engines, often paired with electric assistance in hybrids. Fully electric cars are the fastest-growing segment and already represent roughly 20% of new global sales, but engines remain prevalent in both new vehicles and the existing fleet. Regulations set the trajectory toward zero-emission sales in the 2030s, meaning combustion’s role will steadily shrink — first in new sales, then gradually on the road as the fleet turns over.

Do Teslas have internal combustion engines?

A Tesla is an electric vehicle that runs on batteries and an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. This means that Tesla vehicles rely on renewable energy sources and produce zero emissions, making them a cleaner, more sustainable option for transportation.

Will combustion engines be phased out?

While the US has not yet joined the many countries setting phaseout date, multiple states have committed to follow California’s Advanced Clean Cars II (“ACC II”) regulation to end sales of new gas cars by 2035.

What type of engine is used in most cars today?

Most cars today are powered by four-cylinder inline engines. These engines are common because they are efficient and provide a good balance of power and economy for everyday vehicles. Other popular engine types include inline-six and V-six engines for more powerful cars and trucks, and V-eight engines for luxury and high-performance vehicles. 
Common Engine Types by Cylinder Count:

• Four-Cylinder Engines: Opens in new tabThese are the most prevalent in the market, found in a majority of small-to-mid-size cars. 
• Six-Cylinder Engines: Opens in new tabOften found in SUVs, luxury sedans, and sports cars, these can be in an inline or a V-engine configuration. 
• V-Eight Engines: Opens in new tabTypically reserved for higher-end luxury cars and sports cars, they offer significant power. 

Engine Layouts:

• Inline (Straight) Engines: Opens in new tabThe cylinders are arranged in a single, straight line. This is the most common layout, especially for four-cylinder engines. 
• V-Engines: Opens in new tabCylinders are arranged in two banks, forming a “V” shape. This layout allows for more cylinders in a compact space. 

Why the Four-Cylinder Is So Popular:

• Efficiency: Four-cylinder engines are known for their excellent fuel economy, a major factor in their widespread adoption. 
• Versatility: The introduction of turbochargers has allowed manufacturers to significantly increase the power of four-cylinder engines, making them suitable for a wider range of vehicles. 

Are modern cars combustion engines?

A gasoline car typically uses a spark-ignited internal combustion engine, rather than the compression-ignited systems used in diesel vehicles. In a spark-ignited system, the fuel is injected into the combustion chamber and combined with air. The air/fuel mixture is ignited by a spark from the spark plug.