New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- China's passenger car sales slowed in October, even for electric vehicle makers BYD and Tesla, as automakers cut prices to compete in an overcrowded market, an industry association said Tuesday.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said that sales grew 4.4% year-on-year, down from September's 11.2% increase and a 15.1% jump in August. But exports of EVs and plug-in hybrids doubled from a year earlier, to about 250,000, as automakers expanded further into overseas markets.

Vehicle sales in China, the world's biggest market for sales, got a boost in the past couple of years from government trade-in programs meant to encourage drivers to switch to EVs. Some Chinese cities and provinces have in recent mont...