Auto sales in China fell for a 15th consecutive month in September, with the number of new energy vehicles (NEVs) sold contracting for the third month in a row, data from the country’s biggest auto industry association showed.

Total auto sales fell 5.2% from the same month a year earlier, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) said. That followed declines of 6.9% in August and 4.3% in July. 

Sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) fell 34.2% in September, CAAM said, following a 15.8% decline in August. NEV sales jumped almost 62% last year as the broader auto market contracted. NEVs include plug-in hybrids, battery-only electric vehicles and those powered by hydrogen fuel cells. China has been a keen supporter of NEVs and has implemented sales quota requirements for automakers.