BEIJING, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- China's new energy passenger vehicle market continued to see robust growth in September, with retail sales reaching 1.12 million units, industry association data showed on Saturday.

The figure marked a 50.9 percent year-on-year increase and a 9.6 percent jump from the previous month, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

In September, production of new energy passenger vehicles reached about 1.22 million units, representing a 51.5 percent year-on-year increase and a 16.2 percent rise from the previous month.

The penetration rate of new energy vehicles, a gauge of popularity, in the domestic market climbed to 53.3 percent last month, according to the data.

During the first nine months of 2024, total retail sales of new energy passenger cars amounted to 7.13 million units, representing a 37.4 percent increase from the previous year, the CPCA data showed.

On the export front, China shipped 105,000 new energy passenger vehicles last month, up 19.3 percent year-on-year and 6 percent from August.

From January to September this year, total exports of new energy passenger vehicles reached 968,000 units, a 30.2 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, the association said.