• Stella Li, BYD
    Stella Li, BYD
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The World Car Finals Powered By Brembo has announced Stella Li, executive vice president of BYD, as 2025 World Car Person of the Year, marking the first time a woman has been named World Car Person of the Year and also the first World Car Award win for a Chinese brand.

Li has been a key figure in BYD’s incredible international growth during the past 12 months, with a host of global model debuts, the brand’s entry into new markets and the company passing the impressive milestone of producing its 10-millionth new energy vehicle.

“Stella Li has impressed the World Car judging panel with her exceptional work as a key figure in BYD’s continued global growth,” Jens Meiners, World Car Awards chair Emeritus, said.

“Her international vision and drive have seen BYD become a major player on the automotive stage in a short space of time, and her influence is not only felt within BYD, but across the automotive industry as a whole. We’re delighted to announce Stella as the 2025 World Car Person of the Year.”

Three World Car Person of the Year contenders were announced on January 10, with Li featuring alongside Ralph Gilles, chief design officer of Stellantis and Simon Humphries, head of design and chief branding officer of Toyota.

A jury of 96 distinguished international automotive journalists from 30 countries voted on the contenders based on who had made the most significant contribution to the global automotive industry during the previous calendar year.

Commenting on being named 2025 World Car Person of the Year, Stella Li said she was delighted to accept the award.

“I am incredibly honoured to receive this prestigious award. This award is the result of the 110,000 R&D engineers at BYD who continue to provide us with the latest technological advances that are reflected in our electric vehicles and Super Hybrid DM-i technology,” she said.

“I am glad to play my part in putting these sustainable technologies in the hands of as many consumers as possible around the world.”

Previous World Car Person of the Year recipients have included: Adrian Newey OBE, then CTO of Red Bull Racing and soon to join Aston Martin’s Formula One team (2024); SangYup Lee, executive vice president, head of Hyundai and Genesis Global Design Center, Hyundai Motor Company (2023); Luc Donckerwolke, executive vice president for design and chief creative officer, Hyundai Motor Group (2022); Akio Toyoda, president and CEO, Toyota Motor Corporation (2021); Carlos Tavares, CEO of PSA Group (2020); the late Sergio Marchionne, CEO, FCA; chairman, CNH Industrial; and chairman and CEO, Ferrari (2019); and Håkan Samuelsson, president and CEO, Volvo Car Group (2018).

The World Car Person of the Year award is just one out of seven awards handed out as part of the Road to the World Car Awards – an annual journey that follows our international jurors as they test-drive, and vote on, the eligible vehicles for the awards’ season. The jurors’ road-test journey is captured virtually on World Car TV. The jurors provide viewers with reviews and commentary on the awards’ eligible vehicles in the six categories listed above.

The World Car Awards program would not be possible without the support of our official 20th Anniversary Partners: AITASTIC Research & Consult, Brembo, the New York International Auto Show, KPMG and Newspress.

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