U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla said on Friday its China sales rose 8.8% to a record high of more than 657,000 cars in 2024, a strong performance in a competitive market in a year when its annual global deliveries fell for the first time.

China's BYD, however, looks set to close the gap after reporting 1.76 million EV sales in 2024. The Shenzhen-based firm's total vehicle sales jumped more than 41% in 2024, year-on-year, to more than 4.2 million. The surge was powered mainly by sales of its hybrid cars.

There does not appear to be an obvious savior on the horizon for Tesla, either. The Cybertruck remains the company’s most identifiable vehicle thanks to its futuristic dumpster vibe, but the company shipped fewer than 50,000 units in 2024 and it seems like the demand for the truck is flattening out or declining.