Leading Chinese electric car maker BYD’s vehicle sales surged in 2024, the company said as the firm grows its overseas presence. The EV and battery giant is the most prominent of Chinese automotive firms expanding abroad — plans that are increasingly threatened by thorny trade disputes between Beijing and the West.

Chinese car maker BYD saw sales jump at the end of last year, leaving it closer to claiming the title of the world's best-selling electric vehicle (EV) maker of 2024. The company says it sold 207,734 EVs in December,

The EV giant sold 1.76 million electric cars in 2024, per figures released on Wednesday, putting it within touching distance of beating Tesla.