(Yicai) Feb. 5 -- Sales of several Chinese new energy vehicle makers, including BYD and BAIC BluePark New Energy Technology, surged in January despite the first month of the year being a traditional off-peak period for car sales.

BYD sold 300,500 NEVs last month, up nearly 50 percent from a year earlier. Its overseas sales totaled 66,300 units, accounting for 22 percent of the total.

NEV sales rose in January thanks to the continuous implementation of favorable policies since the beginning of the year, including the extension of the trade-in subsidy policy for electric car purchases, according to industry insiders.

BAIC BluePark sold 7,219 autos last month, up nearly five-fold from the same period last year, thanks to advancements in technological development and product upgrades. The electric car brand under BAIC Group expects to have racked up a net loss of up to CNY7 billion (USD961 million) last year.

Sales of Huawei Technologies’ Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, which partners with Chinese automakers on NEV brands including Aito, Luxeed, Stelato, and Maextro, rose 6.1 percent to nearly 35,000 units in January from a year earlier. 

Changan Automobile’s smart electric vehicle brand Avatr Technology delivered just over 8,000 units last month, up 14 percent from the same period last year.

Among NEV startups, Xpeng Motors delivered 30,350 units and Nio 13,863 units, up 268 percent and 38 percent, respectively, in the period. Leapmotor Technology’s deliveries more than doubled to 25,170 units.

Meanwhile, other carmakers saw their EV sales shrink in January.

NEV startup Li Auto delivered 29,927 units last month, down 3.9 percent from a year earlier. GAC Group’s EV brand GAC Aion logged a 32 percent slump in global sales to 14,393 units. Zeekr Intelligent Technology Holding, a subsidiary of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, delivered 11,942 NEVs, down 4.7 percent in the period.

NEV sales at traditional Chinese carmakers SAIC Group and Great Wall Motor declined 5 percent and 20 percent to 61,100 and 80,900 units, respectively.

China’s NEV sales, excluding exports, are expected to surge nearly 30 percent to 16.5 million units this year from last year, achieving a market penetration rate of over 50 percent, according to third-party think tank China EV100.

Editor: Futura Costaglione