China aims to strengthen its position in the global automotive market and join the industry’s leading group by 2030. The goal is tied to expanding the country’s role across the full production chain of smart new energy vehicles, or NEVs.
Under the plan, NEVs should account for at least 70% of total new passenger car sales by 2030. For commercial vehicles, the target has been set at 40%.
The document also envisions broad adoption of vehicles equipped with autonomous driving functions by the end of the decade. Highly automated driving is expected to be used on expressways, urban fast roads and some city streets.
To reach those targets, China plans to keep developing key technologies. By 2030, the average fuel consumption of passenger cars should fall to 3.3 liters per 100 km, while average electricity consumption for fully electric passenger cars should be about 11.5 kWh per 100 km.
The plan also calls for further optimization of the industry structure and for maintaining a relatively high level of digital and intelligent development. Overall labor productivity is expected to rise by 15% compared with 2025.
China also expects several of its companies to rank among the world’s top ten by sales volume, while others should enter the top 100 global producers of auto parts.
According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), NEVs made up a record 60.6% of total new vehicle sales in August. Output exceeded 1.65 million units, while sales reached 1.64 million units. Both figures were up by nearly 20% from August 2025.
BYD, SAIC Motor and Geely Automobile Holdings had already entered the world’s top ten automakers by sales volume in 2025, underscoring China’s growing ambitions in the global auto market.
