China Overtook U.S. In Monthly Electric-Car Sales Two Months Ago

China has been the world's largest auto market for several years now, with 18 million passenger cars and another 4 million commercial vehicles sold there last year.

But until recently, sales of plug-in electric cars have lagged those in the U.S. (whose market seems likely to be around 17 million vehicles this year).

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Now, according to an article on the Chinese news site Sina Auto (via Want China Times), in September the country's electric-car sales exceeded those of the U.S.--likely for the first time.

While U.S. plug-in sales vary from month to month, as do vehicle sales overall, this year's rate is roughly 10,000 electric cars a month on average.

In September, according to the article, Chinese buyers purchased 11,991 cars with plugs throughout the country, against 10,551 in the U.S.

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