BEIJING - China's new energy vehicles (NEVs) performed strongly, with production surging 29 percent year-on-year to 1.02 million units in January, industry data showed on Monday.

NEV sales grew rapidly by 29.4 percent year-on-year to 944,000 units in January -- accounting for 38.9 percent of total new vehicle sales last month, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

China's auto industry witnessed a steady start to the year, with both passenger car production and sales posting year-on-year increases in January.

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Total passenger car output reached 2.15 million units last month, up 3.3 percent year-on-year, while sales grew 0.8 percent year-on-year to top 2.13 million units.

Meanwhile, China's auto exports rose 6.1 percent year-on-year last month, totaling 470,000 units in January.

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Boosted by the implementation of pro-consumption measures, such as a consumer goods trade-in program, China's auto industry will continue to post stable development, said Chen Shihua, deputy secretary-general of the CAAM.