(Yicai Global) March 2 -- Li Auto has surpassed two other Chinese new energy vehicle startups Nio and Xpeng Motors in deliveries last month amid the slowing effect of Chinese New Year and plant upgrades.

Li Auto delivered 8,414 units in February, a 31 percent decline from January but a nearly fourfold increase from a year ago, the Beijing-based maker of Li One vehicles revealed yesterday. The seven-day holiday of Chinese New Year was celebrated from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6.

Guangzhou-headquartered Xpeng provided clients with 6,225 electric vehicles in February, down 52 percent from January but almost a tripled number from a year earlier, it announced yesterday.

Shanghai-based Nio delivered 6,131 cars last month, falling by 37 percent from a month earlier and a 10 percent year-on-year increase, it said the same day.

All the three firms' US-listed shares dropped yesterday. Li Auto [NASDAQ: LI] closed down 0.1 percent at USD30.42. Xpeng [NYSE: XPEV] slumped by 7 percent to close at USD33.84. Nio [NYSE: NIO] was at USD21.87, down 4.3 percent.

However, Nio leads in total deliveries. The firm has sent more than 182,850 vehicles to clients. Xpeng is No. 2 as its tally is nearly 160,000 cars. For Li Auto, the figure is 144,770 units.

Production was limited in February. Xpeng said that it conducted technological upgrades in its plant in southern China's Zhaoqing from January to the Spring Festival holiday. But production has resumed to normal since mid-February.

Li Auto has been having some supply shortages of parts due to the holiday and a Covid-19 outbreak in Jiangsu province’s Suzhou but it is adopting more measures to ensure supply to reduce its delivery times, said Shen Yanan, founder and president.

Nio had halted production at its joint-venture factory with Anhui province-based JAC Motors during the holiday. But it had used the time wisely by making adjustments to its production lines in order to prepare for its new flagship sedan ET7, with deliveries expected to start this month.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi