On August 26, at a State Council Information Office press conference themed "A Strong Start for the 15th Five-Year Plan," Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology Xin Guobin addressed questions from reporters, stating that the new energy vehicle industry currently faces a series of issues and challenges. He noted that irrational competition remains prominent, with some "radical" innovative designs being installed in vehicles without sufficient experimental verification. He stressed that these issues cannot be ignored or avoided.

Xin Guobin emphasized that products that have not undergone thorough testing and verification are strictly prohibited from entering the market. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) will strengthen oversight and inspection of product production consistency, effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, and further standardize the order of industry competition.

Xin Guobin stated that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee and with the joint efforts of industry enterprises, the achievements of China's new energy vehicle industry have been remarkable. The industry scale has jumped from millions of vehicles to tens of millions, with annual sales increasing from 1.367 million units to 16.49 million units, and the share of new car sales rising from 5.4% to 47.9%. The industrial system is also becoming increasingly complete, with technologies such as vehicle integration, power batteries, and LiDAR now ranking among the world's top tier. The production of new energy vehicles, power batteries, and key materials accounts for more than 70% of global output. The international influence of the new energy vehicle industry continues to grow, with products exported to over 100 countries and regions, and a number of competitive leading enterprises have been cultivated. New energy vehicles have become a "bright business card" of Made in China.

However, Xin Guobin also stressed that it is necessary to clearly recognize that the industry currently faces a series of problems and challenges. For example, the issue of irrational competition remains relatively prominent, with some "radical" innovative designs being applied to vehicles without sufficient experimental verification. There have also been incidents involving automobile product quality and autonomous driving safety that have drawn social attention. Xin Guobin believes that these issues cannot be ignored or avoided, and they are key problems that must be addressed with increased effort during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

To this end, the MIIT has formulated the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle Industry," hoping to promote the sustained and high-quality development of the industry through multiple measures, including planning guidance, departmental coordination, and policy support.

First, further improve the quality of product supply. The MIIT will support key enterprises in intensifying technical research efforts, continuously improving the low-temperature adaptability and durability of power batteries, and enhancing the safety and reliability of autonomous driving. It will actively and steadily advance pilot programs for the access and road trials of intelligent connected vehicles, as well as "vehicle-road-cloud integration" pilots, to provide consumers with greener and smarter intelligent connected new energy vehicle products. The bottom line of product quality must be firmly upheld, and responsibility must be taken for consumers.

Second, optimize the supporting usage environment. The MIIT will carry out vehicle trade-in programs, new energy vehicle initiatives in rural areas, and pilot projects to shore up weaknesses in county-level charging and swapping infrastructure, aiming to achieve "full coverage of charging stations at the county level" and "full coverage of charging piles at the township level." Currently, there are still imperfections in many rural areas in this regard. At the same time, the MIIT will establish and improve the management system for automobile modifications, optimize new energy vehicle insurance policies, and reduce maintenance costs, effectively addressing consumers' concerns and making them willing to buy and use these vehicles with confidence.

Third, improve the industry governance system. The MIIT will advance the reform of group-based management of automobile enterprise production qualifications and optimize the industrial layout. It will strengthen the review of product innovation design access and testing verification management, and strictly prohibit products that have not undergone sufficient testing and verification from entering the market. Oversight and inspection of product production consistency will be intensified to effectively safeguard consumers' legitimate rights and interests and further standardize the order of industry competition.

Fourth, deepen international exchanges and cooperation. The automobile industry is a typical internationalized industry, and achieving sound international development is crucial for future growth. The MIIT will make good use of bilateral and multilateral international exchange mechanisms, intensify coordination in the formulation of international standards and regulations, improve supporting measures such as cross-border logistics and investment and financing, and steadily advance international trade and investment cooperation, making greater contributions to the global transformation and upgrading of the automotive industry.