On October 9th, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, and the State Administration of Taxation issued a notice on the "Technical Requirements for New Energy Vehicle Products with Reduced Vehicle Purchase Tax from 2026 to 2027" (hereinafter referred to as the "new regulations"), proposing the technical requirements for new energy vehicle products with reduced vehicle purchase tax from 2026 to 2027, and clarifying the adjustment of technical requirements for pure electric passenger vehicles and plug-in (including extended range) hybrid passenger vehicles. Zhang Xiang, a visiting professor at Huanghe University of Science and Technology, told reporters that in recent years, the implementation of the policy of exempting new energy vehicles from purchase tax has significantly increased public awareness of the new energy industry, reduced the economic burden on consumers when purchasing cars, promoted sales growth and industry output value increase, provided more development funds for enterprises, accelerated industry expansion and technological progress. This new regulation will further strengthen the role of policy guidance by raising the technological threshold, and help promote the high-quality development of the new energy vehicle industry. The new regulations issued by the three departments this time make clear adjustments around the key technical indicators of new energy vehicles, further refine the admission requirements for pure electric passenger vehicles and plug-in (including extended range) hybrid passenger vehicles, and clarify the catalog management and policy enjoyment rules, making the purchase tax reduction policy more targeted and directional. For example, in terms of technical requirements for pure electric passenger vehicles, the new regulations propose that the energy consumption per 100 kilometers of pure electric passenger vehicles must not exceed the energy consumption limit of the corresponding vehicle model in the "Energy Consumption Limits for Electric Vehicles Part 1: Passenger Cars" (GB 36980.1-2025). It is worth noting that for passenger cars with a maximum design total mass exceeding 3500kg, their energy consumption limit will be implemented according to the limit for passenger cars with a maximum design total mass of 3500kg in this standard. This adjustment will force car companies to increase research and development investment in battery management efficiency, vehicle lightweight design, wind resistance optimization, and promote the upgrading of pure electric vehicle models towards a more "energy-saving" direction. The technical requirements for plug-in (including extended range) hybrid passenger vehicles are adjusted in more detail, covering multiple dimensions such as pure electric driving range and energy consumption performance in different modes. Among them, the pure electric driving range must meet the conditional equivalent full electric mileage of not less than 100 kilometers, further ensuring the pure electric travel capability of hybrid vehicles; In terms of fuel consumption (excluding fuel consumption for electric energy conversion) during the power maintenance mode test, passenger cars with a curb weight of less than 2510kg must be below 70% of the corresponding vehicle model limit in the "Limits for Fuel Consumption of Passenger Cars" (GB 19578-2024), and passenger cars with a curb weight of 2510kg and above must be below 75%; In terms of electric energy consumption in the power consumption mode test, passenger cars with a curb weight of less than 2510kg must be below 140% of the corresponding vehicle model limit in "Energy Consumption Limits for Electric Vehicles Part 1: Passenger Cars" (GB 36980.1-2025), and passenger cars with a curb weight of 2510kg and above must be below 145%. The fuel consumption of non gasoline diesel hybrid vehicles is not required. The policy of exempting new energy vehicles from purchase tax in China can be traced back to 2014, and has experienced multiple extensions since then, providing continuous policy support for the development of the industry. The new regulations issued by the three departments this time are a continuation and upgrade of the previous policies. By raising the technological threshold, they further play the role of policy command and promote the higher quality development of the new energy vehicle industry. From the current development status of the industry, China's new energy vehicle industry has formed significant scale advantages. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in the first eight months of 2025, the production and sales of new energy vehicles reached 9.625 million and 9.62 million respectively, an increase of 37.3% and 36.7% year-on-year. The sales of new energy vehicles accounted for 45.5% of the total new vehicle sales, just one step away from the "50% key node". In this context, the introduction of new regulations is an important measure to adapt to the development stage of the industry and solve potential problems in the industry. Ji Xuehong, a professor at North China University of Technology and director of the Automotive Industry Innovation Research Center, said in an interview with reporters that from the perspective of policy objectives, the release of the new regulations mainly has four core goals. Firstly, promote technological progress and industrial upgrading. By raising the technological threshold, new energy vehicle companies are being forced to increase their research and development investment, accelerating the process of technological iteration and industrial upgrading in the industry. Secondly, optimize the market competition environment. Prevent low tech and low-quality car models from squeezing the market space of high-quality car companies with price advantages, and create a fair and orderly market competition atmosphere. Thirdly, guide rational consumption and protect consumer rights. The new regulations guide consumers to purchase high-quality new energy vehicles with more mature technology and higher safety. Fourthly, smoothly promote policy withdrawal. The policy of reducing or exempting the purchase tax for new energy vehicles is not a long-term solution. By gradually raising the technological threshold, it provides clear expectations and sufficient transition period for the market and car companies, helping the new energy vehicle industry achieve a "soft landing". For new energy vehicle companies, the new regulations are both a challenge and an opportunity. ”Ji Xuehong stated that car companies with insufficient technological reserves will face enormous pressure and need to accelerate technological iteration to ensure that their main models qualify for purchase tax exemptions, otherwise they may face the risk of declining sales; For technologically advanced car companies, the new regulations will become an opportunity to consolidate their market position and further expand their market advantages. (New Society)