That's down 46.8 percent from 16,031 units in January, which the company blamed on the Chinese New Year holiday and the impact of capacity expansion at its plant.

GAC Aion, GAC's new energy vehicle (NEV) subsidiary, sold 8,526 vehicles in February, up 163 percent from a year earlier, according to figures released today by the company.

That's down 46.8 percent from 16,031 units in January, which the company blamed on the Chinese New Year holiday and the impact of capacity expansion at its plant.

On February 18, GAC Aion announced the completion of its plant expansion project, doubling standard capacity to 200,000 units per year.

With the completion of this project, GAC Aion enters a new phase of high speed, high-quality growth, the company said at the time.

GAC Aion's plant now holds 52 patents covering a wide range of areas such as digitalization, new materials and processes, it said.

Upon completion of the project, the plant's production efficiency increased by 45 percent and its customization capabilities by 35 percent, it said.

The plant started production in April 2019, ahead of November 20, 2020, when GAC Aion begins independent operations.

In April 2021, GAC Aion announced that it would invest about RMB 500 million to expand the plant's capacity against the backdrop of rapidly growing sales and the launch of a new model, the Aion Y.

In 2021, GAC Aion's first full year of independent operation, the company sold 123,660 units in that year.

The company's current models on sale include the Aion LX Plus, Aion V Plus, Aion S Plus, Aion S, and Aion Y, covering a price range of RMB 109,600 ($17,200) - 459,600.

GAC Aion did not release breakdown sales figures for these models.

GAC Aion completes plant expansion, doubles annual capacity to 200,000 vehicles