China’s auto sales increased 19.3 percent year on year to almost 14.76 million units in the first seven months of 2021, according to the data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).
Sales of passenger vehicles saw a boost of 21.2 percent year on year to almost 11.56 million units in the January-July period.
In July alone, auto sales amounted to more than 1.86 million units, declining 11.9 percent year on year, said CAAM deputy secretary-general Chen Shihua, noting a downward trend in production and sales for the 7th month of the year.
Chen attributed the drop to the global chip crisis, increasing raw materials costs, uncertainties brought by extreme weather events, and the rise of COVID-19 in the country.
The production, and sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) showed a significant increase during the last month by setting new monthly records.
NEV sales in the country jumped to 271,000 units in July, increasing 160 percent year on year, while NEV output surged 170 percent to 284,000 units.
