BEIJING -- China's automobile exports surged 75 percent year on year in the first two months of 2022, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed.

A total of 412,000 vehicles were exported in the period, of which passenger car exports soared 84 percent year on year to 331,000 units, according to the association.

In February alone, automobile exports totaled 180,000 units, down 21.9 percent from January, but up 60.8 percent from the same period last year. The growth of new energy vehicle exports contributed 52 percent to the surge, the data showed.

In 2021, China's automobile exports doubled year on year to nearly 2.02 million units, and new energy vehicle exports reported a threefold increase year on year by reaching 310,000 units, earlier data showed.