(Bloomberg) -- New-energy vehicle sales in China retained their strong momentum in September, led by record sales from local automaker BYD Co. and US electric-car giant Tesla Inc.

Total NEV sales, which include pure-electric cars and plug-in hybrids, rose 83% from a year earlier to 611,000 units, China Passenger Car Association data released Tuesday show. BYD sold just over 200,000 vehicles for the first time, while Tesla delivered a record 83,135 cars after upgrading production capacity at its Shanghai factory, including 5,522 for overseas markets.

Overall passenger vehicle sales in China increased 21% from a year ago to 1.95 million units in September, the PCA said. 

“The profitability of the new energy vehicle industry relies on the power of supply-chain control” the PCA said in a statement, adding it is a “must” for automakers to “take control of batteries” to avoid potential limitations by suppliers. 

While Tesla leads the way for foreign carmakers in China’s EV market, other international automakers are starting to give chase and offering a wider product lineup. German carmaker Volkswagen AG sold 16,383 NEVs in September under its two local joint ventures.

Chinese automakers are meantime seeking to sell beyond China.

BYD, after selling 7,736 cars abroad in September, has signed a deal with European rental car operator Sixt that will see Sixt take on “several thousand” electric vehicles, with the potential to rise to around 100,000 cars over the next six years. 

Shanghai-based Nio Inc. also plans to boost its European profile, offering three models in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands after a year of modest sales in Norway.

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