⚡ The short version
China’s government published its five-year plan for intelligent connected new-energy vehicles on 11 September, setting 2030 targets of 70% of new passenger-car sales being new-energy (40% for commercial vehicles) and average battery-electric consumption of 11.5kWh per 100km. At a press conference on 28 September, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology named international expansion as one of three priorities: Chinese cars already sell in 200+ countries and Chinese firms have invested in vehicle and parts plants in 80+ countries and regions. The World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference takes place in Beijing on 21–23 October.
China’s car industry is entering its next policy cycle with a plan that is less about electric adoption — which is already largely won at home — and more about technology depth and global reach. The 15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle Industry, published by nine government departments on 11 September 2026, sets the direction to 2030. The headline numbers are striking; the internationalisation agenda behind them matters more for UK and European readers.
What the plan actually says
The plan, which runs from 2026 to 2030, sets four groups of targets:
- New-energy passenger cars: 70% of new car sales by 2030, with new-energy commercial vehicles at 40%.
- Average energy consumption of 11.5kWh per 100km for battery-electric passenger cars, alongside a fuel-consumption target of 3.3 litres per 100km for the average passenger car.
- Large-scale deployment of vehicles with autonomous-driving functions, including high-level automation on motorways, urban expressways and some city roads.
- A stronger international position: higher overseas operational capability for Chinese carmakers, better brand recognition abroad, and a bigger role in international standards for autonomous driving and EVs.
To get there, the plan lays out 17 priority tasks, four major projects and three key actions, spanning technology, supply chains, data, standards and global cooperation.
The international push is the new headline
At a press conference on 28 September announcing the 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference, MIIT deputy director Hao Lishun set out three priorities for the coming five years:
- Closer supply-chain cooperation, including supporting foreign companies to deepen their presence in China.
- Deeper coordination on standards and regulation, using bilateral and multilateral channels to shape global rules for autonomous driving and EVs.
- More steady internationalisation of Chinese carmakers, with better cross-border logistics, financing support and stronger compliance and risk-management requirements for overseas expansion.
The scale behind that agenda is already visible. Chinese cars are now sold in more than 200 countries and regions, and Chinese companies have invested in vehicle and parts manufacturing in more than 80 countries and regions. The plan explicitly says the goal is to move from exporting products to operating globally — building local plants, local data compliance and local service networks rather than simply shipping finished cars.
What this means for Europe and the UK
For European markets, this is the strategic backdrop to everything happening in showrooms. Chinese brands already account for one in four plug-in hybrids sold in Europe, as our analysis of Chinese brands in the European market showed, and they took 15.8% of UK new-car sales in August. The five-year plan signals that the push will continue and deepen — with more local investment, more brand building and more involvement in the standards that will shape future EV and autonomous-vehicle regulation.
That has two implications for Britain. First, competition will keep intensifying: the AA’s latest EV Readiness Index, which we covered when it hit a record 60, credits Chinese competition with driving down prices and broadening choice. Second, the debate over tariffs and trade rules is not going away — it is moving into a new phase focused on local production, data rules and technical standards, the same territory covered in our pieces on the UK–China tariff row and the UK–EU talks over car rules.
The standards angle
One of the less obvious but potentially most consequential parts of the plan is its emphasis on international standards. China has been pushing for years to influence global rules on EV charging, battery safety and autonomous driving, and the new plan makes that a named objective. If Chinese standards gain traction internationally — through UN regulations, ISO work or bilateral agreements — they could shape everything from connector standards to software-update rules, with knock-on effects for every market where Chinese cars are sold, including the UK.
For drivers the effect is indirect but real: more standardised charging and safety rules across markets should, in theory, make cars cheaper to develop and homologate, which feeds back into the price of models sold in Britain. It also matters for the used market, where battery-health transparency and data access are becoming the next battleground — the issues covered in our guide to reading an SoH report before you buy.
Where the plan touches UK policy
China’s five-year plan sits alongside an equally significant UK policy moment. The government’s consultation on the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate closes on 23 October 2026 — the same week as the Beijing conference — and the outcome will set the pace of electrification in Britain for the rest of the decade. Our explainer on the ZEV mandate review sets out the options. The parallel is worth noting: China is planning for 70% new-energy share by 2030, while the UK’s mandate currently requires 80% zero-emission new cars by 2030 — with a review that could loosen it.
What to watch at the Beijing conference
The 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference, co-hosted by MIIT, the transport ministry and Beijing municipal government, runs from 21 to 23 October at the Beijing E-Town exhibition centre. The agenda includes a China–Germany intelligent connected vehicle forum, sessions on automotive chip ecosystems, autonomous-driving testing and AI-enabled industry, plus a large exhibition. It is the clearest single window into where China’s autonomous-driving and internationalisation push is heading.
For UK buyers, the practical takeaway is unchanged: more Chinese models, more competition and more choice, with prices already under pressure — compare the current crop in the electric car library, check running costs with the calculator and see how the newest arrivals stack up in the comparison tool.
Sources
MIIT / nine departments — 15th Five-Year Plan for Intelligent Connected New Energy Vehicle Industry, 11 September 2026, reported by People’s Daily online platform and Economic Daily (https://www.hubpd.com/#/detail?contentId=8070450532253590705) · China News Service / CRL — MIIT: carmaker internationalisation to become more steady in the 15th Five-Year period, 28 September 2026 (https://auto.cri.cn/2026-09-28/b4e74836-ec33-4558-b4de-639c8b6871a8.html) · Science and Technology Daily — 2026 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference, 21–23 October, 28 September 2026 (http://www.stdaily.com/web/gdxw/2026-09/28/content_589401.html) · CGTN — China sets goals for intelligent connected NEV industry, 17 September 2026 · Global Times — Five-year plan for intelligent connected NEVs signals major shift, 20 September 2026.
