Four Departments Hold Battery Industry Forum to Curb "Predatory Competition" and Advance Full Lifecycle Oversight

On April 9, relevant departments of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), and the National Energy Administration (NEA) jointly convened a symposium with enterprises in the power and energy storage battery industry to deploy measures aimed at standardizing industrial competition practices. The meeting underscored the importance and urgency of addressing "involutionary" competition, calling for firm resistance against unreasonable and improper competitive behaviors to safeguard a healthy and orderly market environment. The meeting proposed consolidating achievements made in previous efforts to regulate competition, leveraging interdepartmental coordination mechanisms, and continuously advancing key tasks—including capacity warning and regulation, standardizing price competition, shortening supplier payment terms, strengthening product quality oversight, cracking down on intellectual property infringement, and curbing the externalization of involutionary practices. It also emphasized providing standardized guidance for local investment promotion activities to holistically drive high-quality industrial development. A negative list of irrational competitive behaviors specific to the power and energy storage battery sectors was also discussed during the meeting. Representatives from the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance, China Battery Industry Association, China Chemical and Physical Power Supply Industry Association, Zhongguancun Energy Storage Industry Technology Alliance, and 16 leading power and energy storage battery enterprises attended the meeting. On April 1, the National New Energy Vehicle (NEV) Traction Battery Traceability Information Platform officially launched. Centered on a digital identity system for traction batteries, the platform assigns a unique code to each battery unit, integrates data across the entire industrial chain, and establishes a full-lifecycle traceability system covering production, usage, maintenance, recycling, and comprehensive utilization. The platform offers four core functions and serves enterprises involved in traction batteries, NEVs, battery-swapping services, vehicle repair, end-of-life recycling, and resource recovery, effectively breaking down information silos. Government authorities will rely on this platform to enable real-time supervision, risk early-warning, and integrated data management for the traction battery industry, curb illegal dismantling activities, standardize market order, and promote the sector’s transition toward规范化 (standardization), digitalization, and green development. According to the "February 2026 Insight Report on NEV Electrified Systems" released by the Passenger Car Association (CPCA), China produced 1.604 million new energy vehicles in January–February 2026, a year-on-year decline of 13.7%, with a cumulative market penetration rate reaching 39.9%. During the same period, installed capacity of NEV traction batteries totaled 27.3 GWh, down 19.2% year-over-year; however, the total installed capacity in the broader traction battery market grew by 37.4% year-on-year for the first two months. The current NEV market is undergoing structural adjustment, with clear trends toward premiumization and intelligent features. Nevertheless, short-term sales face pressure due to policy shifts and consumer sentiment, necessitating demand stimulation through product innovation and supportive policies.