Kinas elektriska biltillverkare Byd -försäljning slog Elon Musks Tesla

Den kinesiska tillverkaren av elektrisk fordons Byd har rapporterat årliga intäkter för 2024 som har hoppat för rivaliserande Tesla. Det Shenzhen-baserade företaget säger att intäkterna ökade med 29% för att komma in på 777 miljarder yuan (107 miljarder pund; 83 miljarder), ökat med försäljningen av sina hybridfordon. This topped the $97.7bn reported by Elon Musk’s Tesla.BYD has also just launched a lower-priced car to rival Tesla’s Model 3, which has long been the top selling electric vehicle (EV) in China.It comes as Tesla faces a backlash around the world over Musk’s ties to US President Donald Trump, while Chinese carmakers have been hit with tariffs in Western countries.BYD sold around the same number of EVs as Tesla last year – 1.76 million compared to 1.79 million, respectively.But when sales of the Chinese company’s hybrid cars are taken into account it is much bigger, selling a record 4.3 million vehicles globally in 2024.On Sunday, BYD announced a new model to take on Tesla.Its Qin L model has a starting price in China of 119,800 yuan, while a basic version of Tesla’s Model 3 is priced at 235,500 Yuan.Det kommer när kinesiska konsumenter sänker utgifterna inför ekonomiska utmaningar, inklusive en fastighetskris, bromsar tillväxt och höga lokala statsskulder. Last Week, Byds grundare Wang Chuanfu tillkännagav ny batteriladdningsteknik, som han sa att han kan ladda en EV i fem minuter. driver-assistance technology would be available free in all its models.Shares in the firm, which is backed by veteran US investor Warren Buffett, have jumped by more than 50% so far this year.A backlash against Musk and his carmaker has gathered momentum since he was appointed head of the Trump administration’s Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been tasked with slashing federal government spending.Musk has also intervened in politics abroad, Inklusive att ge sitt stöd till höger till höger alternativa für Deutschland inför Tysklands parlamentsval och kritisera brittiska politiker som premiärminister Keir Starmer.