(Yicai) Oct. 14 -- Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD has sold more cars than auto giant SAIC Motor for four consecutive months, becoming China's best-selling automaker thanks to the sharp growth in electric car sales. And BYD is likely to draw further ahead, analysts said.

BYD’s sales surged 45.9 percent in September from the same period last year to 419,400 vehicles, while SAIC’s sales slumped 35 percent to 313,300 cars, according to the latest data. In the first nine months, BYD shipped 2.7 million autos, a jump of 32.1 percent year on year, while SAIC’s shipments slumped 21.5 percent to 2.6 million units.

The gap between BYD and Shanghai-based SAIC is set to continue to widen, analysts said. The fourth quarter is a critical sales period for carmakers. BYD is likely to set a new record in the next three months, and annual sales may hit 4 million vehicles.

SAIC is being dragged down by its joint ventures’ slow transformation to electric cars. In the first three quarters, SAIC-GM’s sales plunged 61.5 percent year on year to 278,500 vehicles, while SAIC Volkswagen’s tumbled 7.2 percent to 772,100 units and SAIC-GM-Wuling’s fell 5.2 percent to 840,000 autos.

By contrast, BYD’s exports jumped. The Shenzhen-based firm shipped more than 300,000 NEVs overseas in the nine months ended Sept. 30. On Oct. 9, it announced its entry into the Tajikistan market.

China’s sales of passenger cars climbed 4.5 percent in September year on year to 2.1 million units, according to data released by the China Passenger Car Association on Oct. 12. Passenger car exports surged 22 percent in September from a year earlier to 435,000 units and 32 percent in the first nine months from a year ago to 3.5 million autos.

Editor: Kim Taylor