BYD executive vice-president Stella Li has been named the 2025 World Car Person of the Year.
This marks a historic first, as it is the inaugural win for both a woman and a Chinese brand. Li’s leadership has been pivotal in BYD’s rapid global expansion, with the company launching new models and entering new markets while reaching the milestone of producing its 10-millionth new energy vehicle.
She was selected from a shortlist of three nominees, which also included Ralph Gilles, Chief Design Officer at Stellantis, and Simon Humphries, Head of Design at Toyota.
The winner was determined by a jury of 96 international automotive journalists from 30 countries, who evaluated the candidates based on their significant contributions to the automotive industry in the past year.
Expressing her gratitude, Li said she was honoured to receive the award and credited the success to BYD’s 110,000 R&D engineers. She said the company would continue to provide sustainable technologies through its electric and hybrid vehicles.
The World Car Person of the Year is one of seven awards in the Road to the World Car Awards, with global jurors testing and voting on eligible vehicles each year. Previous recipients include high-profile figures such as Adrian Newey and Akio Toyoda.
