(Yicai Global) July 2 -- Nio’s stock price surged in pre-market trading after the Chinese electric vehicle maker notched up its finest quarterly performance thanks in part to a record number of deliveries last month.

Shares of Nio [NYSE: NIO] rose as much as 16.8 percent to USD9.24 before the market open in New York today. It gained 2.6 percent yesterday to close at USD7.91.

“In June, we achieved a historical high of monthly deliveries, contributing to our best quarterly performance,” William Li, founder and chief executive, said in a statement today.

Nio handed over 3,740 cars last month, a 179 percent increase from a year earlier, the Shanghai-based company said. For the three months ended June 30, the figure was 10,331, representing a 191 percent gain from a year ago and 169 percent up on the previous quarter.

Nio has raised more than CNY10 billion (USD1.41 billion) in financing so far this year. Following that the company’s expansion has also accelerated. As of July 2, it had opened 127 stores across China and its sales network now covers 83 Chinese cities.

Editor: Peter Thomas