BYD Ranked No. 16 World’s Most Innovative Companies 2010

Last year, BYD was ranked No. 43 among the top 50 world’s most innovative companies 2009; this year, BYD has climbed up to the No. 16, according to the latest list released by Fast Company on February 17, 2010.

Even in these tough times, surprising and extraordinary efforts are under way in businesses across the globe. From politics to technology, energy, and transportation; from marketing to retail, health care, and design, each company on the following pages illustrates the power and potential of innovative ideas and creative execution.

The Chinese car-and-battery maker already beat GM, Toyota, and Nissan to market with the first plug-in hybrid. Now the 15-year-old company is on the verge of doing the same with its all-electric full-size E6 -- which BYD wants to start selling in the U.S. by the end of 2010. BYD's major competitive advantage is that it develops world-leading battery technology in-house. In its quest for cheaper, cleaner batteries, the company has already begun investing in solar technology, calling it "new energy." That could be an apt name if BYD succeeds, not just for its own business but for the car industry.