Stella Li honored with the Xataka Legend 2025 Award for her leadership in global sustainable mobility
Stella Li, Executive Vice President of BYD, the world’s leading manufacturer of plug-in vehicles and electric batteries, has been awarded the prestigious Xataka Legend 2025 Award, a recognition from the largest Spanish-language science and technology media outlet, honoring individuals who have advanced innovation and technological progress.
- The jury highlighted Stella Li’s nearly three-decade-long career driving electrification and technological innovation.
- The BYD Executive Vice President has led the company’s global expansion from its early days as a battery manufacturer to becoming the world’s largest producer of plug-in vehicles.
- Stella Li champions technology and sustainability as “the engine to change people’s lives.”
With this award, Stella Li joins a select group of leading figures previously honored by
Xataka, including astronaut and former Spanish Minister of Science, Innovation, and
Universities Pedro Duque, European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, and WordPress
co-founder Matt Mullenweg.
29 years of building the world’s largest electric ecosystem
Stella Li joined BYD in 1996, when the company had just around 20 employees and
focused solely on battery production. Since then, she has led its international expansion
and business transformation, turning it into a global technology giant present in 112
countries, with 1 million employees, 120,000 engineers, and an average of 45 patents
generated per day.
In 2024, BYD produced 4.27 million plug-in vehicles, more than any other manufacturer
worldwide. 2025 has been an extraordinary year, marked by historic milestones and
unprecedented achievements. The company reached 14 million plug-in vehicles produced,
set a production car speed record with the YANGWANG U9 Xtreme reaching 496.22 km/h
in Germany, and launched its innovative Flash Charging network, capable of restoring 400
km of range in just 5 minutes with a maximum power of 1,000 kW.
During the Xataka Legend Awards gala, Stella Li reflected on the company’s origins and
the driving force behind its success: she said, "Everything we do is driven by dreams and
passion. We started with 20 people and a simple goal: to use technology to change the
world. Today we are almost a million, but the dream remains the same."
In her speech, the Executive Vice President emphasized BYD’s technological core, fully
focused on delivering integrated solutions that improve people’s lives: "Technology and innovation are the keys to transforming people’s lives. Our dream is a green ecosystem that generates solar energy, stores it in batteries, and powers clean transportation for everyone."
Spain: a strategic market and a model of accelerated adoption
Stella Li used the occasion of receiving this important award in Spain to highlight the crucial
role the market plays in BYD’s European strategy, both for its growth and its strong cultural
connection to Spanish-speaking countries: "Spain is one of our best success stories. Consumers love our cars, and what happens here becomes an inspiration for all of Latin America."
Stella Li also celebrated recent local milestones, including the international success of the
BYD DOLPHIN SURF, voted “World Urban Car 2025” and also recognized by the Xataka
community as the Best Technological EV of the year.
With the Xataka Legend 2025 Award, Stella Li reaffirms her status as one of the most
influential figures in the global transition to electric mobility. Her leadership combines
strategic vision, speed of execution, and a human-centered approach to technology.
