China leads global auto industry recovery from virus in October

Reuters reports that vehicle sales in China rose 12.5% in October from the same month a year earlier, the seventh straight monthly rise as the world's biggest vehicle market leads the global industry in recovering from lows hit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sales reached 2.57 million vehicles last month, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed.

This time of year, known as "Golden September, Silver October", is typically a high point in sales for the industry, a time when consumers make purchases after staying away from showrooms during the stifling summer months.

Passenger vehicle sales rose 9%, with some automakers including Toyota booking double-digit growth. For commercial vehicles, which constitute around a quarter of the overall market, sales surged 30%, driven by government investment in infrastructure and as buyers upgraded to comply with tougher emissions rules.

Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) surged 105% to 160,000, their fourth consecutive month of gain. NEVs include battery-powered electric, plug-in petrol-electric hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.