(Yicai) Aug. 2 -- Li Auto delivered the most cars of all China’s new energy vehicle startups last month, after logging a 228 percent increase from a year earlier.

Li Auto handed over 34,134 NEVs to buyers in July, the Beijing-based company said yesterday, exceeding 30,000 for the second consecutive month.

The automaker also delivered its 400,000th vehicle last month, becoming the first Chinese NEV startup to reach the milestone, Chairman and Chief Executive Li Xiang said.

Nio ranked second as the Shanghai-based firm delivered a new monthly record of 20,462 cars, up 104 percent annually and 91 percent from June, driven by the newly-released sports utility vehicle ES6, whose deliveries kicked off in May and reached the 10,000 mark last month.

Xpeng Motors’ deliveries increased for the sixth straight month, rising 28 percent to over 11,000. Some 3,900 were Xpeng G6, an electric coupe SUV launched mid-July.

Hozon Auto delivered 10,039 NEVs in July, while Leapmotor said it sold 14,335 units in the month.

Between January and July, Li Auto and Nio delivered 173,251 and 75,023 units, respectively.

Editors: Shi Yi, Futura Costaglione