KATHMANDU: Electric vehicles stole the show at the 2025 World Car Awards held on the sidelines of New York International Auto Show, sweeping top honors across several categories. The coveted World Car of the Year title was awarded to Kia’s compact EV3 SUV.
A panel of 96 international automotive journalists from 30 countries selected the winners through a secret vote based on their review of the eligible vehicles.
BYD Seagull model, which is sold as Dolphin Mini in some markets, claimed the World Urban Car award. It became the first Chinese vehicle to win this category, beating 11 competitors in its class.
The electric revolution continued with Hyundai’s Inster Electric winning World Electric Vehicle of the Year award and Volkswagen’s ID.Buzz taking home World Car Design of the Year honors. Similarly, Volvo’s premium EX90 secured the World Luxury Car of the Year title, while Porsche’s 911 Carrera GTS proved internal combustion still has a place by winning the World Performance Car of the Year award.
The awards also recognized industry leaders. Stella Li, Executive Vice President of BYD, received the World Car Person of the Year honors. Since joining BYD in 1996, Li has been instrumental in transforming the company into a global brand and the world’s sixth-largest automaker.
While many of the winning models are not available in the US market yet, these models are making gradual inroads in most of the other countries. The presence of BYD cars on Nepali roads shows how EVs are becoming popular in developing economies.
The BYD Seagull is also one of the most awaited cars in Nepal because of its compact size and affordable price. BYD is represented in Nepal by Cimex Inc.
Indian car brands failed to secure awards in any of the six categories despite strong domestic market growth.
