STORY: Tesla sales hit a record in China in 2024.

They rose 8.8% to over 657,000 vehicles during the year, and were up even more in December.

Friday's news comes a day after the EV maker reported its first ever decline in worldwide sales.

They fell 1.1%, and missed boss Elon Musk's forecast of slight growth.

Tesla shares fell around 6% in U.S. trade on Thursday following the news.

The better numbers in China come amid an EV price war there.

Tesla has extended discounts and zero-interest financing on some models in the country.

But it faces a bruising battle with local champion BYD.

It cut prices sharply on some models, and overshot sales targets as a result.

They jumped 41% to over 4.25 million units.

Its overseas sales surged even more, rising almost 72% but still falling short of targets.

Over the coming year, BYD faces headwinds including new tariffs in the EU, and a probe into labor standards for workers building a plant in Brazil.