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Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have been in the fourth wave of the low emission vehicle development since 2006. Moreover, the BEV technology diffusion is beyond national boundaries due to the changes in the innovation mode and product characteristics. The paper adopts priority patent applications and international patent families to map the BEV transnational technology diffusion from the perspective of global technology innovation (GTI). Our study finds the sources and recipients of BEV technology are concentrated in a few countries or regions, while the transnational technology diffusion is uneven, especially in the core group. The key drivers of technology diffusion are the innovation capacity of countries and the scale of countries' market demand for BEV technology. Our findings enrich the literature on transnational technology diffusion and help policy-makers or company managers better understanding of why some countries may achieve success while others made little progress in the similar context of promoting BEV development. • Mapping the technology diffusion of battery electric vehicles by using patent data. • The transnational technology diffusion of battery electric vehicles is uneven. • The technology sources and recipients of battery electric vehicles are concentrated. • The market proximity between the U.S. and China is closer, so does Germany and China. • Innovation capacity and market scale are key drivers of technology diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]