Sweden-based Volvo Cars said on Wednesday that sales increased by 10% year-on-year in April to 51,976 cars, boosted by strong gains in China.

Volvo Cars, which is majority-owned by China's Geely Holding , said in a statement that sales in China were up 46%. In Europe, its biggest market Europe, sales were up 5%, while in the U.S. they were down 4%. The carmaker's shares were down 1% in early trade. Volvo Cars said sales of fully electric cars nearly doubled to account for 17% of total sales. All recharge models, also including those not fully electric, were up 28%.

(Reporting by Anna Ringstrom, editing by Terje Solsvik and Sharon Singleton)