China's new-energy passenger car sales surge in April

BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China's new-energy passenger vehicle market continued to see robust growth in April, with retail sales reaching about 922,000 units, industry association data showed Thursday.

The figure marked a 37 percent year-on-year increase, but a 7 percent decrease from the previous month, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

The penetration rate of new-energy vehicles, a gauge of popularity, in the domestic market stood at 52.3 percent in April.

During the first four months of the year, total retail sales of new-energy passenger cars amounted to 3.34 million units, representing a 37 percent increase from the previous year, the CPCA data showed.

Retail sales of passenger cars stood at 1.79 million in April, up 17 percent year on year, but 8 percent lower than the previous month.

During the first four months of the year, total retail sales of passenger cars hit 6.92 million, up 9 percent year on year.