All models on the list except the ET5 and ET7 are traditional fuel models, with the BMW 3 Series coming in at No. 1 with 18,533 units.

Nio's (NYSE: ) ET5 electric sedan moved up in a China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) ranking of premium sedan sales, as it saw significant growth in deliveries in December.

With 7,594 retail sales in December, the ET5 ranked No. 7 in China for premium sedan sales starting at more than 300,000 yuan ($44,310), according to the list released today by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

The ranking represents an increase of two spots from November, when ET5 retail sales were 2,968 units, placing it 9th on the list.

The ET5 is the least expensive of the Nio product array, with a starting price of RMB 328,000. Deliveries of the model began on September 30, 2022, with 221 units delivered in the month.

October was the first full delivery month for the ET5, with 1,030 units sold at retail that month, ranking 10th on the CPCA's list for that month.

Nio's flagship sedan, the ET7, remains on the CPCA's list, although its deliveries fell sharply in December.

The ET7 ranked No. 10 on the list, down two spots from No. 8 in November.

Nio delivered a record 15,815 vehicles in December, including 1,379 ET7s and 7,594 ET5s.

ET7 deliveries were down 57 percent from November's 3,207 vehicles, but ET5s were up 155.86 percent from November's 2,968 vehicles.

Nio delivers record 15,815 vehicles in Dec, including 7,594 ET5s-CnEVPost

All models on the list, except the ET5 and ET7, are conventional fuel vehicles, with the BMW 3 Series in first place with 18,533 units and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class in second place with 16,596 units.

On August 26, 2022, on the first day of the Chengdu auto show, Nio co-founder and president Qin Li said he expects monthly sales of the ET5 to exceed those of the gasoline-powered BMW 3 Series in China within a year.

For the full year 2022, the Nio ET5 sold 11,813 units, placing it 10th in China in the sales ranking of premium sedans with a starting price above RMB 300,000.

The ET7 sold 23,046 units in 2022, ranking 8th on the list.

The BMW 5 Series, with 171,142 units sold in 2022, was the best-selling premium sedan in China for the year, while the BMW 3 Series ranked second with 163,681 units and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class was third with 145,804 units.