BEIJING, March 10 -- China's auto sales expanded 13.5 percent year on year to nearly 1.98 million units in February, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed Friday.

Auto sales in the January-February period totaled 3.625 million units, down 15.2 percent year on year, according to the data.

In February alone, sales of passenger vehicles went up 10.9 percent to over 1.65 million units.

Sales of new energy vehicles also sustained a rapid pace of growth, surging 55.9 percent year on year to 525,000 units last month.

The country's automakers manufactured 2.03 million vehicles in February, rising 11.9 percent year on year, the association said.

Auto exports soared 82.2 percent from a year earlier to 329,000 units last month, bringing the total number of exports in the first two months to 630,000 units, up 52.9 percent year on year.

Noting that the effective domestic demand for automobiles has yet to be unleashed fully, the association called for the continuation of preferential policies to sustain the steady growth of the auto sector further.