China auto sales rise 12.5% in October, seventh straight monthly gain

[BEIJING] Vehicle sales in China rose 12.5 per cent in October from the same month a year earlier, the seventh straight monthly rise as the world's biggest vehicle market leads the global industry in recovering from lows hit during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sales reached 2.57 million vehicles last month, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed.

Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) surged 105 per cent to 160,000, their fourth consecutive month of gain. NEVs include battery-powered electric, plug-in petrol-electric hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.

This time of year, known as "Golden September, Silver October", is typically a highpoint in sales for the industry, a time when consumers make purchases after staying away from showrooms during the stifling summer months.

REUTERS