BEIJING (Reuters) -China’s car sales accelerated in September, the traditional peak season for the auto market, as dealers and consumers took advantage of trade-in subsidies before more local governments suspended the incentives.

Domestic car sales rose 6.6% year-on-year to 2.27 million units, following a 4.9% increase in August, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed on Monday.

Sales of electric vehicles and hybrid cars made up 57.2% of total sales and grew 15.5%, compared to 7.5% in August.

This time of year, known as “Golden September” in China, is usually peak season as automakers rush to launch new models and consumers return to showrooms after a lull during the stifling summer months.

Local government-subsidised trade-ins spurred car sales in the first half b

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