Gasgoo Munich-On September 11, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) held a press briefing to update the nation on the development of its intelligent connected new-energy vehicle (NEV) sector. Key officials—including Guo Shougang, director of the MIIT’s Department of Equipment Industry I, Shao Ji of the National Development and Reform Commission, Cao Wen of the Ministry of Commerce, and Zhu Meina of the State Administration for Market Regulation—were on hand to present details and answer questions. The session was moderated by MIIT spokesperson Gong Xian.
It was revealed at the meeting that nine government departments have jointly issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle Industry."
Image source: MIIT
Guo noted that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China made significant strides in intelligent connected NEVs, establishing a competitive edge globally and taking solid steps toward becoming an automotive powerhouse.
On the technology front, capabilities in vehicle integration, power batteries, smart cockpits, and LiDAR have reached the global first tier, with combined driver-assistance functions becoming increasingly common. Industrially, a complete and efficient supply chain now spans upstream and downstream. China accounts for over 70% of global production in NEVs, power batteries, and key materials, while five NEV makers and six battery manufacturers have cracked the global top 10 in sales. In terms of market scale, annual NEV sales surged from 1.367 million to 16.49 million between 2020 and 2025, representing a compound annual growth rate of 65%. The penetration rate of combined driver-assistance functions in domestic passenger vehicles climbed from 16.2% to 64.9%. Meanwhile, Chinese NEVs and parts are now exported to over 100 countries and regions, with cooperation between Chinese and foreign firms deepening.
Guo also acknowledged that the industry faces headwinds. Internationally, protectionism and unilateralism are on the rise, leading to more trade barriers. Domestically, irrational competition remains pronounced, and recent incidents involving vehicle quality and autonomous driving safety require careful attention. Despite this, the assessment is that the "15th Five-Year Plan" period will remain a window of opportunity for global transformation, with China’s industry poised for broad prospects.
According to the briefing, the "Plan" outlines a series of development goals toward 2030 using a "1+4" framework. The overarching objective is to further consolidate China’s full supply chain advantages and secure its status as a world automotive powerhouse. Specifically, NEVs are targeted to account for 70% of new passenger car sales and 40% of new commercial vehicle sales domestically, while vehicles with autonomous driving capabilities are expected to achieve large-scale application.
The four sub-targets include: effectively elevating key technologies, with average fuel consumption for passenger vehicles hitting 3.3 liters per 100 km and average power consumption for pure electric passenger vehicles reaching roughly 11.5 kWh per 100 km, while achieving highly autonomous driving on highways, urban expressways, and certain city roads. Structurally, overall labor productivity is set to rise 15% from 2025 levels, cultivating several automakers and parts suppliers into the global top 100. Internationally, the aim is to foster a new landscape where Chinese brands enjoy high reputation and greater influence over global standards. Economically, the automotive sector’s role as a pillar of the national economy will be highlighted, with peaking carbon emissions targeted before 2030.
To achieve these goals, the "Plan" details 17 key tasks across five areas: boosting technological innovation, upgrading the industrial system, promoting cross-sector integration, building a scientific governance framework, and fostering global cooperation. It also establishes four major projects—covering key technology R&D, standards and testing capabilities, safety foundations, and internationalization capabilities—alongside three key actions: the "AI + Automotive" development initiative, the construction of a key parts ecosystem and cultivation of leading enterprises, and an application promotion campaign.
Regarding specific measures, Guo stated the industry will accelerate toward greener, smarter, higher-end, and more global operations. On green development, authorities will continue revising energy consumption standards, optimizing the "dual-credit" policy, and exploring carbon management for vehicles and battery footprints. A digital ID system for power batteries will be fast-tracked, alongside trade-in programs, rural NEV promotions, and charging infrastructure pilots. For intelligence, the government will deepen pilot programs for market access and road usage, advance "vehicle-road-cloud" integration, and merge AI with the automotive sector to digitize the supply chain. To move up the value chain, support will focus on improving battery performance in low temperatures and durability, enhancing the safety and reliability of driver-assistance systems, and tightening product design reviews. Internationally, China will deepen its involvement in harmonizing global standards and push for mutual recognition of domestic and international regulations.
On the regulation of autonomous driving safety, the MIIT will implement mandatory national standards for driver assistance and autonomous driving in a steady manner. The ministry will continue production access and road pilot programs, cautiously expanding scenarios to include highway navigation, automated parking, and logistics delivery. Simultaneously, it aims to strengthen safety evaluation and oversight capabilities across policy standards, corporate safety guarantees, production processes, testing, and supervision.
