Establishing itself as a prominent leader in the global New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sector, BYD has achieved the distinction of being the most innovative automotive group according to the Automotive INNOVATIONS Report 2026, released by Germany’s Center of Automotive Management (CAM). This marks the first occasion in the report’s 21-year history that a Chinese manufacturer has secured the top spot.
BYD attained an impressive innovation index score of 157 points, surpassing the Volkswagen Group, which scored 143 points, and Mercedes-Benz with 134 points.
The CAM report, an annual evaluation recognized for its rigorous standards, assessed over 860 innovations from 36 global automotive manufacturers and more than 100 brands for its latest report.
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Innovations were examined in several areas, including Electric Drive, Autonomous Driving and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), as well as Infotainment and Connectivity. The evaluation criteria included maturity, originality, customer advantages, and the level of innovation. For more than twenty years, European automotive groups have dominated the top rankings, making BYD’s achievement a significant indicator of the evolving landscape of automotive innovation.
BYD’s strong performance is attributed to its entirely in-house developed technology portfolio, which includes batteries, electric motors, electronic controllers, and automotive-grade semiconductors. The company introduced 55 innovations during the evaluation period, with 18 being world premieres, the highest number recorded in the 2026 report.
“BYD’s remarkable success in the CAM rankings highlights their undeniable leadership in the new energy sector. It affirms our belief that BYD is shaping the future of global mobility. As their official local partner, JKCG Auto takes immense pride in introducing the world’s most innovative automotive brand to Sri Lanka, thereby enhancing access to cutting-edge new energy technology for many Sri Lankans,” stated Charith Panditharatne, CEO of John Keels CG Auto.
Key innovations contributing to this achievement included the second-generation Blade Battery, which allows for charging from 0 to 80 percent in under five minutes, the Super e-Platform designed with a 1000V architecture enabling megawatt-level flash charging, and the God’s Eye ADAS suite, a tiered autonomous driving system powered by BYD’s proprietary Xuanji A3 4nm chip. Additionally, BYD was recognized as the Most Innovative Volume Brand, while Mercedes-Benz earned the title of Most Innovative Premium Brand.
Significantly, three Chinese automakers—BYD, XPeng, and Geely—now hold three of the top six positions in the global rankings, indicating a broader shift in the automotive innovation landscape as the focus increasingly moves toward new energy vehicles.
For ten consecutive years, BYD has been the leader in new energy passenger vehicle sales in China and achieved global NEV sales exceeding 4.6 million units in 2025, making it the top automaker worldwide in this category.
The Automotive INNOVATIONS Report 2026 is available through CAM’s website at www.automotiveinnovations.de.
Source: Financial Chronicle Biz English | Sri Lanka Business News.
