Sales of new energy vehicles (NEV) in China went up 10.9 percent year on year in 2020 amid government efforts to encourage their use and ease pressure on the environment, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) showed Wednesday.

NEV sales amounted to 1.37 million units last year. In December alone, NEV sales surged 49.5 percent year on year to 248,000 units.

The CAAM data also showed the number of automobiles sold in China totaled 25.31 million last year, down 1.9 percent from 2019.

The better-than-expected NEV sales came amid government push and rising market enthusiasm for the eco-friendly cars. In November last year, China unveiled a development plan for its NEV industry in 2021-2035 that aimed to accelerate the country's transition into an automotive powerhouse.

The proportion of new NEVs in the sales of new vehicles is expected to rise to 20 percent by 2025, and vehicles used in public transportation will be completely electrified by 2035, according to the plan.