BYD, world’s no. 1 NEV brand has topped the global automotive innovation ranking in the Automotive INNOVATIONS Report 2026 released by the Germany-based Center of Automotive Management (CAM), marking a new milestone for the Chinese automaker. According to the report, BYD ranked first with 157 points, ahead of last year’s champion Volkswagen with 143 points. Mercedes-Benz ranked third with 134 points.
Top 10 Automakers in the 2026 Global Automotive Innovation Ranking
Since CAM launched its Automotive INNOVATIONS study in 2005, this is the first time a Chinese automaker has claimed the top spot in the global ranking. The result highlights BYD’s growing innovation strength and its rising competitiveness in the global automotive industry.
Founded in 2003, BYD Auto is the automotive subsidiary of BYD, a multinational high-tech company devoted to leveraging technological innovations for a better life. Aiming to accelerate the green transition of the global transportation sector, BYD Auto focuses on developing pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The company has mastered the core technologies of the entire industrial chain of new energy vehicles, such as batteries, electric motors, electronic controllers, and automotive-grade semiconductors.
It has witnessed in recent years significant technological advancements, including the Blade Battery, the DM-i and DM-p hybrid technology, the e-Platform 3.0, the CTB and iTAC technologies, the DiSus Intelligent Body Control System, and the XUANJI Architecture. The company is the world’s first carmaker to stop the production of fossil-fuelled vehicles on EV shift and has remained top of new energy passenger vehicle sales in China for 10 years in a row.
