China will introduce a mandatory national standard governing energy consumption for pure electric passenger vehicles starting January 1, 2026, marking the first time such requirements carry legal force, according to state broadcaster CCTV, as cited by IT Home.
The new regulation, titled Energy Consumption Limits for Electric Vehicles Part 1: Passenger Cars, replaces the country’s previous recommended framework and establishes binding efficiency thresholds based on vehicle weight and technical configuration. Authorities said the standard was developed after assessing current energy consumption levels, advances in efficiency technologies, and cost considerations across the electric vehicle sector.
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Under the new rules, energy consumption limits will be tightened by around 11 percent compared with the existing voluntary standard. Regulators said the updated framework introduces differentiated benchmarks to account for varying vehicle designs and use cases, while encouraging automakers to adopt more efficient system-level technologies rather than relying solely on larger batteries.
For pure electric passenger vehicles weighing around two tonnes, the maximum allowable electricity consumption will be set at 15.1 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers. Officials said compliance with the new requirements could improve vehicle efficiency by roughly 7 percent on average, assuming no increase in battery capacity. The regulation applies exclusively to battery-electric passenger cars and does not cover plug-in hybrid or extended-range models.
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The new standard will also be tied directly to fiscal policy. China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Finance, and State Taxation Administration have jointly updated technical requirements for vehicles eligible for purchase tax exemptions in 2026 and 2027. Only models that meet the new energy consumption thresholds will qualify for tax incentives, linking regulatory compliance with financial support.
Vehicles already listed in the current tax exemption catalogue and compliant with the updated criteria will transition into the 2026 list, while non-compliant models may be excluded. The rules also raise technical thresholds for plug-in hybrid and extended-range vehicles seeking preferential treatment. Authorities said the measures aim to accelerate efficiency gains across the industry and align vehicle development with national energy and climate goals.
