Policy Insights

Anfia Proposes Zero Tariffs on Chinese Car Imports Within 8% Quota

Vavassori, president of the Italian automotive components association Anfia, proposed that the EU set an import quota for cars made in China, with zero tariffs for up to 8% and an 80% tariff on the portion above that, covering components as well. Chinese brands currently account for more than 9% of new car sales in the EU, and the EU's current combined tariff rate on Chinese EVs is about 18% to 45%. Italian component exports fell 4.6% in the first half, may decline 10% for the full year, and could fall 40% to 50% by 2028 without protection. Whether the proposal can enter the EU agenda remains to be seen.

4173 days ago

Four Departments Launch One-Year Special Action on Vehicle Quality; GAC Responds That It Will Not Build "Rushed Cars"

On August 27, four departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology launched a one-year special action on production consistency and quality improvement for road motor vehicles, focusing on production consistency, reliability, durability and the testing and validation of new technologies; on the same day, CAAM called for an end to "pseudo-innovation." GAC responded by stating that it insists on not building "rushed cars," opposes compressing validation cycles, and safeguards quality and safety through full-process quality control, extreme testing and 360 bottom-line quality and safety criteria.

3363 days ago

The Carbon Ledger of a Battery: As the EU Compliance Timetable Tightens, Who Is Sprinting Ahead and Who Is Falling Behind

The EU's New Battery Regulation carbon footprint requirements are being phased in: from February 2026, third-party verified carbon footprint declarations must be submitted; from 18 August, A-to-E class labels must be affixed; from August 2027, the battery passport takes effect; and from 2029, products exceeding limits will be banned from sale. About 40% to 50% of a power battery's carbon footprint comes from upstream mining and smelting, making it hard to meet the standard through factory green power alone. Leading players are sprinting ahead through green power substitution, closed loops of recycled materials, sodium-ion innovation and cascading carbon data upstream, while smaller suppliers' data capabilities and standard-setting influence have become key variables.

1593 days ago

Batch 409 Product Directory: 33rd NEV Purchase Tax Exemption List Released

MIIT Announcement No. 21 of 2026 released Batch 409 of the "Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Products" directory, alongside Batch 88 of the Vehicle & Vessel Tax reduction list and Batch 33 of the Purchase Tax exemption list, continuing tax incentives for NEV consumption.

33223 days ago

MIIT Solicits Comments on 50 Vehicle-Road Cooperative Communication Standards

MIIT published 50 communication industry standards including "Vehicle-Cloud Communication Security Technical Requirements for Vehicle-Road Cooperation" for public comment, with the comment period running from August 12 to September 10, 2026.

28123 days ago

NEV Reliability Test Mileage Raised to 30,000 km, "Rushed Cars" Halted

The National Technical Committee of Auto Standardization issued draft amendments to three NEV type approval test regulations, proposing to increase the reliability driving test total mileage to 30,000 km, aiming to crack down on "rushed car" practices and strengthen pre-market validation standards.

22823 days ago

MIIT Abolishes Power Battery Cascade Utilization Policy, 100 Enterprises Removed from List

MIIT issued an announcement abolishing the cascade utilization policy for retired NEV power batteries, discontinuing the cascade utilization enterprise approval system, removing 100 previously approved cascade utilization enterprises from the compliance list, while the regenerative recycling enterprise list remains valid.

22124 days ago

Nine Ministries Unveil 18 Measures to Boost NEV Rural Deployment

Nine ministries jointly issued 18 measures to stimulate lower-tier market vitality, explicitly supporting NEV rural deployment and expanding charging infrastructure coverage. Rural retail sales grew **2.4%** YoY in Jan-July 2026, outpacing urban areas for **55 consecutive months**.

39624 days ago

China's First Mandatory National Standard for L3/L4 ADS Takes Effect July 2027

The "Safety Requirements for Intelligent Connected Vehicle Automated Driving Systems" (GB 44721-2026) has been officially released. It is China's **first mandatory national standard** for L3 and L4 autonomous driving systems, taking effect on **July 1, 2027**.

48624 days ago

NEV Reliability Test Mileage Doubled to 30,000 km, "Fast-Track Car" Era Ends

The National Automotive Standardization Technical Committee released three GB amendment drafts, proposing to increase NEV reliability test mileage from 15,000 km to **30,000 km**, aligning with fuel vehicle standards. Meanwhile, MIIT issued a mandatory GB requiring **19 core functions to have physical buttons**.

51424 days ago

Nine Ministries Joint Policy: County Charging Coverage Exceeds 98%, NEV Rural Push Accelerates

On August 18, China's Ministry of Commerce and eight other ministries jointly issued the "Opinion on Further Stimulating Downstream Market Vitality and Activating County-Level Consumption," explicitly calling for accelerated promotion of new energy vehicles in rural areas and expanded charging infrastructure coverage. Data shows county-level charging facility coverage reached 98.61% by mid-2026, while the NEV rural program has cumulatively sold over 23 million vehicles since its 2020 launch.

33524 days ago

Shanghai Zhangjiang Lays Out L2/L3/L4 AD Mass Production Roadmap

Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission issued the "Shanghai Zhangjiang High-Tech Industrial Development Zone 15th Five-Year Development Plan," explicitly targeting **L2 combined driving assistance + L3/L4 autonomous driving mass production**, with emphasis on autonomous chip and OS development.

35025 days ago