The China Passenger Car Association has scaled up its estimate of NEV sales in China to 2.4 million this year, as the sector continues to gain momentum in the world's largest vehicle market.

Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the association, said on Tuesday that his confidence came from the growing sales of major NEV carmakers in the country and their increased exports to overseas markets.

The association's estimate was 2 million units at the start of the year, and was raised to 2.2 million in April.

A total of 196,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids were sold in May, soaring 174.2 percent from the same period last year, according to statistics.

In the first five months, the wholesale figure of NEVs in China was 860,000 units, 3.5 times the figure in the same period last year.

Tesla ranked first in May, with its wholesale figure reaching 33,463 units. It was followed by BYD, at 32,131, and SAIC-GM-Wuling, the maker of the popular Hongguang MINI EV, at 27,757 units.

Exports of electric cars and plug-in hybrids were impressive in the month as well. Of Tesla's 33,463 vehicles sold in May, about one third were shipped overseas. In the same month, SAIC Motor exported 2,430 and BYD, 223.

Cui said exports of China-made Tesla models would reach 100,000 units this year.