On August 14, BYD's Zhengzhou All-Terrain Racing Circuit officially opened. At the opening press conference, Li Yunfei, General Manager of BYD Group's Brand and Public Relations Department, mentioned that in the three major fields of hybrid technology, pure electric technology, and new energy technology as a whole, Chinese automakers occupy half or more of the seats in the global automaker patent rankings in each field. "In these three major technology tracks, there are a total of 17 Chinese national flags. It is remarkable and hard-earned!" This marks that China's new energy vehicles have completed overtaking on the curve in the technology race and achieved comprehensive leadership.
Recently, China Automotive Information Technology (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. (referred to as "CAIT"), an authoritative body, released the "Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive New Energy Technology," the "Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive Hybrid Technology," and the "Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive Pure Electric Technology" [China Automotive Information Technology (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as "CAIT") is a subsidiary of CATARC specializing in intellectual property and other areas]. BYD strongly swept the top spot on all three lists, demonstrating with a comprehensively leading number of patents its deep accumulation and strong R&D strength in the field of new energy vehicle technology; in addition, half or more of the companies on all three lists are Chinese automakers. This not only reflects BYD's dominant position in global new energy vehicle technology competition, with its technology-enabled products winning recognition in the global market, but also highlights the strong rise of China's new energy vehicle technology, as well as the international discourse power and leadership of Chinese auto brands in the new energy track.
Red flags flutter across the three major lists as China's new energy vehicle technology rises strongly
In the three major technology patent authorization lists, half or more of the companies on each list are Chinese automakers, and in the hybrid list, Chinese automakers account for as much as 70 percent. Across the three lists, a total of 17 five-star red flags appear! This impressive figure fully demonstrates that China's new energy vehicle industry has formed a technological R&D pattern of moving forward together amid competition. From leadership by top companies to breakthroughs across the entire camp, it highlights China's whole-industry-chain technological advantages and industrial competitiveness in the new energy vehicle field, successfully completing an overtaking on the curve against established Western automakers in the new energy track. The following are the specific details of the three major lists released by CAIT:
Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive Enterprise New Energy Technology
The data search category is the broad new energy technology category (including subcategories such as hybrid and pure electric technology), with statistics as of July 31, 2025, ranked by primary applicant. The specific rankings are as follows:
(Image: Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive Enterprise New Energy Technology)
Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive Enterprise Pure Electric Technology
The data search category is the pure electric technology category (including subcategories such as pure electric drive assemblies and three-electric technologies), with statistics as of July 31, 2025, ranked by primary applicant. The specific rankings are as follows:
(Image: Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive Enterprise Pure Electric Technology)
Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive Enterprise Hybrid Technology
The data search category is the hybrid technology category (including subcategories such as hybrid drive assembly technology), with statistics as of July 31, 2025, ranked by primary applicant. The specific rankings are as follows:
(Image: Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive Enterprise Hybrid Technology)
BYD tops three global patent lists, truly deserving the title of technology king
Comprehensive patent leadership with obvious technological advantages
The latest patent authorization ranking lists released by CAIT show that in the three key lists—the "Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive New Energy Technology," the "Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive Hybrid Technology," and the "Ranking of Chinese Patent Authorizations in Global Automotive Pure Electric Technology"—BYD ranks first on all of them, with a significant leading advantage. This means that in the core technology areas of new energy vehicles, BYD possesses the richest and most cutting-edge patent technology reserves.
High R&D investment and strong capabilities lead industry development
BYD has long adhered to high-intensity R&D investment. Over the 14 years from 2011 to 2024, its R&D investment exceeded its net profit for the year in 13 of those years. At present, BYD has more than 120,000 technical R&D personnel, applies for 45 patents per day, and receives 20 patent authorizations per day.
It is precisely this high-intensity R&D investment that provides strong support for BYD's technological leadership, enabling it to achieve many breakthrough results in hybrid technology and core new energy vehicle three-electric technologies such as batteries, motors, and electronic controls, including the Blade Battery known for high safety and CTB battery body integration technology, the fifth-generation DM technology with fuel consumption as low as 2.6L per 100 kilometers, megawatt flash charging technology that provides 400 kilometers of range with 5 minutes of charging, and the world's highest mass-produced speed 30,000-rpm motor.
These technologies have set benchmarks for the industry in technical route exploration and product innovation, and are leading the new direction of electric vehicle development: as early as 2008, BYD launched the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid vehicle, the F3DM; in 2010, it launched China's first mass-produced pure electric vehicle, the e6. Strong R&D and innovation capabilities have kept BYD at the forefront of new energy vehicle development.
Strong technological reserves and R&D strength have helped BYD Auto's sales continue to grow. In the first half of 2025, BYD Auto's sales climbed steadily, winning the global new energy vehicle sales championship: from January to June this year, BYD's domestic sales exceeded 2.113 million, a year-on-year increase of 31.5%; over the same period, overseas sales were 472,000, a year-on-year increase of 128.5%.
The rise of China's new energy vehicle industry owes much to Chinese automakers represented by BYD. In the global competition in new energy vehicle technology, Chinese automakers are continuously enhancing their international discourse power with strong momentum, iterating, evolving, innovating, and leaping forward, writing a Chinese chapter in the field of new energy vehicles.
