New energy vehicles accounted for a record 62.9 percent of China's passenger vehicle sales in May, marking another milestone in the country's transition toward electrification.

According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, retail passenger car deliveries in May stood at 1.51 million units, down 22.1 percent from the same period last year.

Of them, NEVs stood at 950,000 units, down 7.5 percent year-on-year, but they accounted for 62.9 percent of total passenger car sales.

BEVs were the mainstay, with their wholesale deliveries reaching 886,000 units in May, up 16.6 percent year-on-year and 13.9 percent from April.

They accounted for 65.7 percent of total NEV wholesale volume in May, up 3.3 percentage points from a year ago and 2.1 percentage points from April.

Analysts said the increase indicates that pure electric models are regaining momentum as charging infrastructure expands and technologies such as 800V architectures, ultra-fast charging and higher-capacity batteries become increasingly widespread.

Plug-in hybrids recorded wholesale sales of 372,000 units, representing a 10.5 percent increase from a year earlier and a 2.9 percent gain month-on-month.

They represented 27.5 percent of total NEV wholesale sales last month, with the share basically unchanged from a year earlier but falling by 2.0 percentage points from April, suggesting that the segment is entering a more mature phase after several years of rapid growth.

Extended-range electric vehicles, meanwhile, posted wholesale sales of 95,000 units, up 8.9 percent from April but down 24.9 percent year-on-year.

EREVs accounted for 7.0 percent of NEV wholesale volume last month, down 3.3 percentage points year-on-year and 0.1 percentage points month-on-month.

While the category remains an important option for consumers seeking longer driving range and greater flexibility, its growth has slowed amid intensifying competition across the broader NEV market.

The figures suggest that while China's overall NEV market continues to expand, growth dynamics among the three major technology routes are beginning to diverge.