In this year’s rankings, NIO received multiple accolades:
- No.1 in Electric Drive (BEV) among 2025 Most Innovative Premium Brands
- No.2 in Autonomous Driving & ADAS among 2025 Most Innovative Premium Brands
- No.3 Most Innovative Premium Brand of the Year
In late July, the Center of Automotive Management (CAM), a globally recognized German research institute, announced the winners of the 2025 AutomotiveINNOVATIONS Awards. Chinese automaker NIO topped the premium brand innovation ranking for the first time and received several technical innovation awards.
According to the evaluation report, Volkswagen ranked first among mass-market brands in terms of innovation strength, while NIO led the premium segment. The report also noted that most innovations now originate from Chinese or German carmakers, significantly reducing the chances for popular brands like Tesla to make the list.
As background information, this year’s assessment was based on 742 innovations from the 2024/25 period, evaluating 575 series-production innovations across 30 global automotive groups and over 100 automotive brands.
Specifically, NIO topped the list for “Most Innovative Premium Brand in Electric Drive (BEV)” with a total score of 33.5, ranked second for “Most Innovative Premium Brand in Autonomous Driving & ADAS” with 16.6 points, and was also named the third “Most Innovative Premium Brand of the Year.”
These achievements were made possible by NIO’s success in mass-producing several cutting-edge technologies. CAM highlighted that NIO was the first to equip semi-solid-state batteries on its ET5 and EC7 models—an important breakthrough that enabled the brand to move further into the mid-to-high-end market. Additionally, NIO’s self-developed 1,000V charging piles, with a peak output of 640kW, significantly improved both range and charging efficiency.
It is also worth noting that public data shows NIO has invested over ¥60 billion ($8.4 billion) in R&D over the past decade. The ET9, NIO’s premium intelligent executive flagship sedan, alone holds 1,000 patents, underscoring NIO’s shift from a “technology follower” to a “standard setter” in terms of innovation and intellectual property.
In the premium brand innovation ranking, Audi followed closely behind NIO in Electric Drive, securing second place thanks to the performance of the A6 e-tron and Q6 e-tron in both range and energy efficiency. Tesla came in third, attributed to the economic efficiency of the Model 3—achieving just 12.5 kWh per 100 km—and the versatility of the Cybertruck.
Aside from NIO, several legacy automakers made notable comebacks on the list. Volkswagen regained the top spot in Electric Drive among mass-market brands with an innovation score of 29.4, largely due to battery efficiency improvements and enhanced energy replenishment experiences in the ID.3 GTX and ID.7 Pro S. Renault and Kia followed with scores of 24.4 and 20.5, respectively.
Overall, Chinese new energy vehicle brands continue to break ground in gaining international recognition. As global competition in the NEV space deepens, innovation capability has become the key to elevating brand value and unlocking new growth potential.
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