The sale of electric cars in the Chinese mainland reached over 3.2 million units in 2021, nearly half of the total sales of global electric vehicles (EVs), according to global analyst firm Canalys on Monday.

The firm estimated in its latest report that 6.5 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide in 2021, a 109 percent increase from that in 2020. Despite the global market reeling under COVID-19 restrictions and chip shortages, the sale of electric vehicles – fully electric and plug-in hybrid passenger cars – has been rising.

It said 85 percent of electric vehicles sold globally were delivered to customers in the Chinese mainland and Europe. Europe still has the highest level of electric vehicle adoption rate.

The report said China witnessed a bustling EV market as many new models were launched, from tiny, inexpensive city cars to mainstream and premium sedans and SUVs every month.

"15 percent of new cars sold in 2021 in the Chinese mainland were EVs – more than double the percentage in 2020," said Jason Low, principal analyst at Canalys.

According to the report, Wuling Hongguang Mini EV was still the most popular EV model on the Chinese mainland in 2021, followed by two Tesla models.

The arena for EVs is getting crowded as more car brands have joined for a slice of the pie. BYD as one of the leading brand in China owns several popular EVs and other companies including Aion, Changan, Chery, Li Xiang, Ora, Roewe and Xpeng also have strong sales in EVs.

Aside from a flourishing scene in the EV market in China and Europe, the U.S. lagged behind with EV sales accounting for only four percent of new cars sold in the U.S. last year, about 535,000 units.