China's leading high-tech company BYD was honored by the Fast Company as one of its Top 10 Most Innovative Companies for Energy.

China's leading high-tech company BYD was honored by the Fast Company as one of its Top 10 Most Innovative Companies for Energy.

BYD ranked No. 2 for "introducing the first electric trucks," while US company Green Mountain Power tops the list for energy "for helping customers go off the grid," according to the rankings compiled by the Fast Company, a monthly American business magazine.

"The biggest electric vehicle manufacturer in the world isn't Tesla, but the Chinese company BYD (or "Build Your Dreams"). The company began as a battery manufacturer -- and that expertise led it to electric cars and trucks, which depend on battery cost and performance," the comments of the list read.

"This year's list is an inspiring and insightful window into how many companies have embraced innovation and are working to make meaningful change," said Fast Company Deputy Editor David Lidsky, who oversaw the issue with Senior Editor Amy Farley.

"At BYD, we never stop working to transform the world. We strive to create innovative ways to power and move the world with safe and sustainable technology," Stella Li, President of BYD North America.

"We are honored to be recognized for our contribution worldwide," she said.

BYD, the world's largest manufacturer of battery-electric vehicles for the third year in a row, is also the largest manufacturer of battery-electric buses in North America.

In October, BYD unveiled its expanded battery-electric bus manufacturing facility, North America's largest, in the US city of Lancaster in southern California. This growth will allow BYD to build up to 1,500 battery-electric buses annually.

The Top 10 Most Innovative Companies list, Fast Company's signature franchise, spans 36 separate categories from artificial intelligence to wellness.