Tesla scored a win in China just as its biggest rival stumbled

• Tesla scored a rare win in China, earning bragging rights over its biggest rival in the process.
• Elon Musk's automaker saw its sales rise by nearly 10% in November, while its arch-rival BYD's fell.
• Tesla has had a difficult year, with sales underwhelming in China and collapsing in Europe.

Things are finally looking up for Tesla in China.

The US automaker's sales rose 9.9% in November compared to the same month last year, according to data released by China's Passenger Car Association on Tuesday.

That's a rare win for Tesla, which has had a difficult year in almost all of its biggest markets. The company has faced a sales collapse in Europe, been squeezed by intense competition in EV-friendly China, and is on track to see its overall sales decline for the second consecutive year.

One bright spot for Tesla: it's not the only one with problems. The Elon Musk-run automaker's biggest Chinese rival, BYD, has hit some speed bumps in recent months.

The Shenzhen-based EV giant, which has become one of China's largest carmakers thanks to a range of affordable and high-tech electric models, has had three straight months of sales declines.

BYD said it sold just over 480,000 EVs and hybrids in November, its highest total this year, but still around 5.3% less than the same period in 2024.

The Chinese automaker, which was once backed by Warren Buffett, has struggled in the face of a renewed price war in China's ultra-competitive EV market and a government crackdown on aggressive discounting.

Despite these headwinds, BYD is still on course to take Tesla's crown as the world's largest seller of battery EVs this year, and the company is rapidly taking market share from Musk and co. outside China.

BYD's overseas sales hit a record 131,935 in November. The Chinese auto giant is taking advantage of Tesla's woes in Europe, with BYD outselling its US rival by more than two to one in October.