Gasgoo Munich- On June 18, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Ministry of Commerce, and three other departments jointly issued a notice officially launching the 2026 new energy vehicle (NEV) campaign for rural areas. Themed "Green, Low-Carbon, Smart, Safe — Smart Travel Across Counties and Towns, Green Benefits for Rural Families," the initiative marks a fresh push for electrification in the countryside. 
Source: MIIT official website
Compared to previous editions, this campaign boasts broader coverage and more comprehensive support services. Crucially, it explicitly promotes trade-ins "without limits on the number of subsidy qualifications" for the first time—a move designed to deeply unlock consumption potential in lower-tier markets.
A central feature of the event is the simultaneous release of the 2026 NEV rural model directory, comprising 155 vehicles. The list not only features flagship models from traditional brands like FAW Hongqi, BYD, and GAC AION, but also includes popular models from new entrants and foreign automakers for the first time—such as the Xiaomi SU7 and Tesla Model 3—significantly expanding choices for rural consumers.
The directory spans everything from affordable commuter cars to mid-to-high-end passenger vehicles, and even some commercial logistics models. This range is designed to meet diverse needs in county and township markets, including daily commuting, agricultural transport, and individual business operations.
The notice emphasizes a deep push for rural vehicle trade-ins, setting up dedicated zones that offer "one-stop" services like old car assessment and subsidy applications. The breakthrough lies in removing the cap on subsidy qualifications for rural consumers trading up to NEVs, significantly lowering the barrier for families to upgrade their vehicles.
Furthermore, the campaign will coordinate efforts among charging infrastructure, finance, and insurance companies to expand into rural areas. It aims to deploy technologies like intelligent connectivity and integrated solar-storage-charging systems, accelerating the build-out of a full-lifecycle service ecosystem covering purchasing, usage, and maintenance.
Since its inception in 2020, cumulative sales of NEV models under the rural campaign have surpassed 20 million units, establishing rural areas as a critical growth engine for the sector.
