A run of gloomy headlines about China's electric-vehicle industry gave way, at least for a day, to relief. Shares in two of the country's best-known names, BYD and Xiaomi, rose after both reported healthy June delivery figures, CNBC reported.

BYD rebounds on record exports

BYD, the world's largest maker of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, said it sold about 403,000 vehicles in June, up roughly 5 percent from a year earlier — a second straight month of annual growth. Its Hong Kong-listed shares jumped around 9 percent, according to CnEVPost, rebounding from a recent multi-month low.

The standout number was exports. BYD reported record overseas sales of roughly 175,000 vehicles for the month, nearly doubling from a year earlier and accounting for more than 40 percent of its total — a sign of how aggressively Chinese carmakers are pushing into foreign markets. That strength helped offset weakness at home, where BYD's domestic sales fell sharply year on year amid fierce competition.

Xiaomi holds its momentum

Xiaomi, better known globally for smartphones, has become one of the industry's most closely watched newcomers since launching its SU7 electric sedan. The company said it again delivered more than 30,000 electric vehicles in June — its third straight month above that mark — and its shares rose too. Xiaomi did not disclose an exact figure.

The backdrop: a price war

The upbeat deliveries come against a bruising backdrop. China's EV market, by far the world's largest, has been gripped by a prolonged price war, with manufacturers repeatedly cutting prices to win share in a crowded field. The pressure has squeezed profits across the industry and drawn the attention of regulators: Chinese authorities have moved to discourage selling cars below cost, seeking to cool a competition that officials and industry bodies warn is unsustainable.

Analysts caution that a single month's figures do not resolve those deeper strains. Demand growth at home has cooled, dozens of brands are still fighting for buyers, and even fast-growing players are not all profitable in their car divisions. For now, though, exports and steady deliveries were enough to lift sentiment.

Why it matters

BYD and Xiaomi are among the most prominent faces of a Chinese EV sector that has reshaped the global car industry, driving down prices and unsettling established Western and Japanese manufacturers. Their monthly delivery reports have become a closely watched gauge of an industry that is simultaneously booming and consolidating. June's numbers suggested the leaders can still grow — increasingly by selling abroad — even as the domestic battle grinds on.