Beijing, China (Xinhua) -- China’s auto sales rose 8.7 percent year on year to 18.62 million units in the first nine months of 2021, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed Tuesday.

Auto production rose 7.5 percent year on year to 18.24 million units over the past three quarters, according to the data.

Sales of passenger vehicles increased 11 percent year on year to 14.86 million units in the January-September period.

China’s industrial enterprises continued to recover with stable economic development, but the auto industry continued to face pressure from a chip supply shortage, high logistics costs and other factors, the association said.

In September alone, auto sales totaled about 2.07 million units, down 19.6 percent year on year.

In particular, new energy vehicle (NEV) production and sales last month reached 353,000 and 357,000 units, respectively, both logging a year-on-year growth of 150 percent, the CAAM data showed.

In the January-September period, NEV sales amounted to about 2.16 million units, up 190 percent year on year, the CAAM data showed.

The country’s auto exports increased 120 percent from the previous year to 1.36 million units in the first nine months.

For the last quarter, China’s auto demand is expected to remain stable as the country’s economic development continues to consolidate its development momentum, the CAAM said.