A five-year policy framework released by Beijing outlines a pathway toward broad deployment of autonomous vehicles by 2030, alongside targets for electrification, lower energy use, and the advancement of intelligent transport safety across the automotive sector. A roadmap for the intelligent connected new energy vehicle sector covering 2026 to 2030, jointly published by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology alongside eight other government bodies, sets out targets for new energy vehicles to represent 70 percent of passenger car sales and 40 percent of commercial vehicle sales domestically by the end of the decade. The initiative additionally seeks to position China as a leading force in the worldwide automotive industry. Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, described the targets as a reflection of both market potential and a phased development approach, noting that the retail penetration rate for new energy passenger vehicles had already surpassed 60 percent, which he said laid a practical basis for reaching 70 percent within five years. New energy vehicles made up 65.2 percent of all passenger car retail sales in the domestic market during August, a rise of 9.9 percentage points compared with the same period the previous year, industry data showed. Cui noted that a 40 percent target for commercial vehicles reflects the realities of the present environment, where uptake of new energy vehicles on long-distance freight routes remains low and the infrastructure for charging and refuelling requires further expansion. The approach outlined involves using passenger vehicles as a reference point while directing investment toward gaps in the commercial vehicle segment. The proposal additionally introduces tighter targets for energy efficiency. Targets have been established for newly manufactured passenger cars to achieve a mean fuel efficiency of 3.3 litres per 100 kilometres and a mean energy draw of 11.5 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometres for battery electric models by 2030. Zhang Xiang, a visiting professor at Huanghe Science and Technology University, noted that the benchmarks are expected to push automakers toward producing more compact and lightweight vehicles, adding that models falling short of the mandatory energy consumption requirements would be excluded from the MIIT's product catalogue, a development he described as reflecting a broader shift in the industry's direction away from volume-led growth toward efficiency and emissions-focused quality improvement. By 2030, the initiative targets the rollout of highly automated vehicle operation across motorways, urban arterial roads, and select municipal streets. The initiative also targets faster development of AI models tailored to the automotive sector, the creation of scenario libraries for autonomous driving, and broader deployment of artificial intelligence within connected vehicles. The roadmap targets a 15 percent rise in workforce output relative to 2025 benchmarks, the advancement of domestic automotive brands, the development of globally competitive vehicle manufacturers and parts suppliers, and a ceiling on carbon emissions from the sector before 2030. BYD described the plan as offering structured, forward-looking direction for the sector over the next five years, outlining broad industry objectives, priority areas, and a roadmap for implementation, while also raising the bar on innovation, market competition, regulatory compliance, and overseas growth, and pledging to sustain elevated research and development spending with a growing emphasis on electrification and intelligent vehicle technologies.
