This photo taken on May 27, 2023 shows a new energy vehicle displayed at the exhibition area of Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, capital of China. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sales expanded 60.2 percent year-on-year to 717,000 units in May, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed Friday.

NEV sales in the first five months of 2023 totaled 2.94 million units, increasing by 46.8 percent from a year ago.

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The output of NEVs in the country reached 713,000 units last month, up 53 percent year-on-year, the data revealed.