(Yicai Global) July 3 -- BYD’s sales of new energy vehicles jumped 88 percent last month from a year ago, retaining its title as Chinese best-selling NEV maker and outpacing rival GAC Aion by more than five times, while Nio’s auto deliveries bounced back.

BYD sold 251,700 cars in June, figures from the Shenzhen-based company showed yesterday. GAC Aion, the electric car marque of major Chinese automaker GAC Group, ranked second with over 45,000 sold, an 87 percent jump.

In the second half of this year, BYD will launch several new models, including the BYD Song L, a coupe crossover, the BYD Frigate 07, a plug-in hybrid, and the Denza N7.

Its shares [HKG: 1211] finished 4.5 percent higher at HKD261.20 (USD33.34) apiece in Hong Kong today. The stock has gained almost 36 percent so far this year.

Shipments by NEV startup Nio rebounded last month from May, while that of Li Auto and Leap Motor hit record highs, with each surpassing 10,000 units. But Xpeng Motors, once a market leader, continued to struggle.

Shanghai-based Nio delivered 10,707 cars last month, up 74 percent from May but down 17 percent from a year earlier. Beijing-based Li Auto saw shipments surge 150 percent to 32,575 in June from a year ago, exceeding 30,000 for the first time to top Chinese NEV startups, followed by Hangzhou-based Leap Motor with 13,209, an 17.3 percent gain.

Nio’s shares Hong Kong-listed shares [HKG: 9866] jumped 8.1 percent to close at HKD82 (USD10.59). In pre-market trading in New York, its stock [NYSE: NIO] was up 6.3 percent at USD10.30 as of 4.34 a.m. local time today.

Hozon Auto and Xpeng Motors sold 12,132 and 8,620 units, respectively, with the former reporting a 7.7 percent drop from a year earlier and the latter a 44 percent decline.

Xpeng’s stock [HKG: 9868] surged 16.5 percent to end at HKD58.25. Its New York-traded shares [NYSE: XPEV] were up 11 percent at USD14.89 each at 4.39 a.m. local time.

Deliveries of Geely Holding Group's electric vehicle brand Zeekr surged 147 percent to 10,620 from a year ago. Sales of Ora, the NEV brand of Great Wall Motors, rose 21 percent to 10,015, those of Changan Automobile's Shenlan brand topped 8,000, while those of Seres Group fell 26 percent to 5,668.

Various Chinese NEV makers have halted or slowed price cuts and launched more cost-effective models that better meet buyers needs and attract custom, according to Shanghai Pudong Development Bank International Holdings. The government has also issued incentive policies to stimulate demand, and NEV manufacturers are exiting a prisoner's dilemma situation, it added.

Editor: Martin Kadiev