Cementing its status as a global New Energy Vehicle (NEV) trailblazer, BYD has topped the global rankings for most innovative automotive group in the Automotive INNOVATIONS Report 2026, published by Germany's Center of Automotive Management (CAM) - the first time in the study's 21-year history that a Chinese automaker has claimed the top position.

BYD secured the ranking with an innovation index score of 157 points, ahead of Volkswagen Group at 143 points and Mercedes-Benz at 134 points.

The ranking is published annually by the Center of Automotive Management (CAM), one of the automotive industry's most rigorous independent benchmarks, which evaluated over 860 individual innovations across 36 global automakers and more than 100 brands for its 2026 report.

Innovations are assessed across Electric Drive, Autonomous Driving and ADAS, Infotainment and Connectivity, scored on maturity, originality, customer benefit, and degree of innovation. For more than two decades, the top of that ranking has been occupied by European automotive groups, making BYD's first-place finish a decisive marker of how the global automotive innovation landscape has shifted.

BYD's score reflects a technology portfolio built entirely in-house — spanning batteries, electric motors, electronic controllers, and automotive-grade semiconductors — and encompassing 55 innovations in the study period, including 18 world premieres, the highest individual count in the entire 2026 report.

"BYD’s historic achievement in the CAM ranking underscores their undisputed leadership in the new energy space. It also validates what we have always known—BYD is defining the global future of mobility. As their official local partner, JKCG Auto is incredibly proud to bring the world’s most innovative automotive brand to Sri Lanka, giving more Sri Lankans access to unparalleled new energy technology,” John Keels CG Auto CEO, Charith Panditharatne said.

Among the key contributors were the second-generation Blade Battery, which enables charging from 0 to 80 percent in under five minutes, the Super e-Platform operating on a 1000V architecture with megawatt-level flash charging capability, and the God's Eye ADAS suite, a tiered autonomous driving system powered by BYD's proprietary Xuanji A3 4nm chip. BYD also won the Most Innovative Volume Brand category, alongside Mercedes-Benz, which claimed Most Innovative Premium Brand.

Notably, three Chinese automakers — BYD, XPeng, and Geely — now occupy three of the top six positions in the global ranking, a result that points to a broader structural shift in where automotive innovation is being driven, as the industry's centre of gravity continues to move towards new energy vehicles.

BYD has led new energy passenger vehicle sales in China for ten consecutive years and recorded global NEV sales of over 4.6 million units in 2025, the highest of any automaker in the world.

The AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Report 2026 is published by CAM and available at www.automotiveinnovations.de.