(Yicai) Sept. 1 -- Weichai Power reported that its new energy heavy-duty truck sales soared 255 percent in the first half of this year from a year earlier, with the Chinese diesel engine and parts producer expecting the sector to bring more development opportunities in the second half.

Weichai Power's subsidiary Heavy Duty Automobile sold 10,000 electric heavy trucks in the six months ended June 30, the Weifang-based parent firm said in an earnings report released late on Aug. 29. Its overall truck sales rose 15 percent to 73,000 units.

In addition, Heavy Duty sold 27,000 trucks overseas, with the number of units exported to Guinea, Saudi Arabia, and Algeria doubling.

However, Weichai Power's first-half net profit fell 4.4 percent to CNY5.6 billion (USD785.3 million) and its operating revenue climbed 0.6 percent to CNY113.2 billion (USD15.9 billion), according to the report.

Overseas orders provided crucial support for Weichai Power's performance, with its German smart logistics unit Kion Group logging net profit of EUR47.9 million (USD56.1 million) on revenue of EUR5.5 billion (USD6.5 billion). New orders jumped 22 percent to EUR6.2 billion, reaching a record high last quarter.

The popularity of Chinese new energy commercial vehicles overseas stems from China's new energy vehicle technology and supply chain advantages, according to industry insiders.

Weichai Power's overseas business growth reflects that the going global trend among Chinese new energy commercial vehicle makers has shifted from an early phase of complete vehicle trade to one of full-chain ecosystem exports, covering complete autos, chassis, batteries, charging and swapping stations, financial leasing, and after-sales services. The upstream and downstream of the supply chain are being transferred and implemented in a coordinated manner.

China's NEV exports soared 75 percent to 1.06 million units in the first half from a year ago, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Exports of new energy commercial vehicles surged 230 percent and will likely double to around 450,000 units this year from the previous year.

Editor: Martin Kadiev