Abstract: It is of great practical significance for the latecomers to accelerate the technology progress and realize the technology catch-up by identifying the key elements of technology change and the influence on the transformation of innovation ability. Based on the theoretical hypothesis that the leading elements determine the innovation ability and then affect the innovation performance, this paper constructed the theoretical model of the evolutionary relationship among the innovation element, innovation ability sequence and innovation performance. And then, taken the innovation activities of BYD's traditional fuel cars and new energy vehicles, and the changes of the technology trajectory as the study case, abstracted the innovation elements and innovation capability sequence which could promote the technology progress and finally achieve technology leap in different innovation stages, and constructed the theoretical model among mainstream and new stream innovation elements, innovation capability sequence and innovation performance evolution. Finally, from the perspective of characteristic innovation elements, transformation of collaborative innovation model and transformation of innovation ability, the dynamic mechanism of promoting technology leapfrogging from mainstream to new stream was expounded. This research has reference significance for enterprises to optimize the combination of innovation elements so as to achieve technology catch-up.