On April 21 (local time), the German Center of Automotive Management (CAM) unveiled its Automotive Innovation Report 2026. According to the report, Chinese automaker BYD claimed the top spot in the global automotive industry innovation rankings for the first time, scoring 157 points and surpassing last year's leader, Volkswagen, which scored 143 points. Mercedes-Benz secured third place with 134 points, followed by XPENG (128 points), BMW, and Geely Group, which ranked fourth to sixth, respectively. Renault, Toyota, General Motors, and Hyundai Motor also made it into the top ten. This achievement marks the first time a Chinese automaker has risen to the pinnacle of the rankings since the inception of the 'Automotive Innovation Research' project in 2005.
