BEIJING - China's new energy vehicle (NEV) sector maintained strong momentum in production and sales in the first nine months of the year, according to industry data released Tuesday.

NEV production jumped 35.2 percent year on year to 11.24 million units during the first three quarters, as reported by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

Sales during the same period climbed 34.9 percent year on year to nearly 11.23 million units, accounting for 46.1 percent of total vehicle sales in China, CAAM data showed.