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.

Tesla's China sales grew 8.8 percent in 2024 to over 6,57,000 units, accounting for 36.7 percent of its deliveries, despite global sales declining by 1.1 percent. BYD delivered 1.76 million EVs globally and expanded exports but missed its target.