High-Level Forum on Smart EV Development (2026) Opens in Beijing, Stakeholders Chart Course for Auto Industry in the 15th Five-Year Plan

On April 11, 2026, the High-Level Forum on Intelligent and Electric Vehicle Development was held at Phase II of the China National Convention Center in Beijing. The morning session focused on “Advancing the intelligent, green, integrated, and international development of new energy vehicles (NEVs),” while the afternoon session centered on “Exploring New Industrial Development Models and Cultivating High-Quality Automotive Competitiveness,” bringing together representatives from government, automotive, energy, transportation, and technology sectors. Su Bo, Deputy Director of the Strategic Advisory Committee for Building a Manufacturing Powerhouse and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, stated that the “15th Five-Year Plan” period (2026–2030) is critical for China’s transition from a major automobile producer to a global automotive powerhouse. He emphasized that NEVs must fulfill national missions related to building a strong manufacturing sector, a science and technology powerhouse, a robust transportation system, and achieving dual carbon goals. By 2030, NEVs are expected to account for over 70% of China’s new vehicle market. Su proposed a systematic approach across six dimensions: top-level design, governance systems, technological safety, industrial ecosystems, ecological synergy, and international governance. Professor Ouyang Minggao of Tsinghua University noted that competition in the NEV market is shifting from “price wars” to “value competition,” encompassing functionality, emotional appeal, and asset value. He forecasted that NEV passenger car sales will exceed 70% of total sales by 2030, surpass 80% by 2035, and potentially reach over 85% by 2040. He stressed that battery-electric drivetrains are gaining clear advantages and that vehicle-to-grid (V2G) integration will become widely adopted. Professor Li Keqiang of Tsinghua University highlighted that safety remains the foremost challenge in intelligent driving. He urged the industry to abandon short-termism and return to technological fundamentals, enhancing holistic collaborative perception, risk prediction, and traffic efficiency through integrated vehicle-road-cloud systems. Representatives from automakers emphasized that industrial competition has shifted toward ecosystem-based value creation. Zhao Fei, General Manager of Changan Automobile, stressed the need to build an interdisciplinary, integrated, and symbiotic industrial ecosystem. Feng Xingya, Chairman of GAC Group, argued that technological competition is evolving into a contest of systemic capabilities, with value competition increasingly driven by emotional resonance; he underscored the importance of balancing domestic and international markets. William Li, CEO of NIO, called for standardizing battery cells and unifying chip architectures to reduce industry costs by over RMB 100 billion. Li Ming, General Manager of JAC Group, recommended jointly building international supply chains, promoting financial collaboration for overseas expansion, and establishing an overseas early-warning service system. Li Shufu, Chairman of Geely Holding, proposed methanol-electric powertrains as a complementary solution to lithium batteries, offering both decarbonization and cost advantages in heavy-duty transport. Yang Xueliang, Senior Vice President of Geely, stated that “AI-defined vehicles” are accelerating, with Geely having completed an AI deployment across all domains. Lian Yubo, Chief Scientist of BYD, observed that the industry has shifted from linear supply chains to networked symbiosis, redefining relationships between OEMs and suppliers and enabling bidirectional value flow. He Liyang, President of Seres, described the automotive industry as a key carrier of new quality productive forces and advocated cross-sector collaboration, AI empowerment, smart manufacturing, and intelligent services. Wang Lang, Vice President of Chery, projected China’s auto exports will reach 7.5 million units in 2026 and emphasized the importance of compliance capabilities and full-ecosystem collaboration in global expansion. Liang Linhe, Chairman of Sany Heavy Truck, predicted explosive growth in new energy heavy-duty trucks between 2025 and 2028. Han Sanchu, CEO of CARIAD China (Volkswagen Group), noted blurred market segmentation in China, with intelligence becoming the core decision factor amid intense competition. Becker, Senior Vice President of BMW, stressed that profitability is the foundation for sustainable innovation and called for accelerating the shift from policy-driven to market-driven development and aligning Chinese and international standards. Ma Zhixin, Chairman of Nissan China, outlined Nissan’s China strategy focusing on brand, products, and overseas expansion, highlighting that its first China-developed model, the Frontier Pro, has already begun exports. From the perspective of the broader industrial chain, Jin Yuzhi, CEO of Huawei’s Yinwang, declared 2026 as the “global year zero” for autonomous driving, with Level 3 autonomy as a pivotal milestone. Yu Kai, CEO of Horizon Robotics, advocated avoiding redundant development of foundational autonomous driving models and instead promoting central computing architectures aligned with organizational structures. Li Qiang of Alibaba Cloud stated that integrated cockpit-and-driving super-intelligent agents are emerging, with VLA+ vision models and cloud-edge large models reshaping technical paradigms. Shan Jizhang, CEO of Black Sesame Intelligent, predicted VLA+ world models will become mainstream in advanced intelligent driving. Zhang Bo, CEO of Didi Autonomous Driving, proposed that hybrid mobility networks represent the optimal path for commercializing Level 4 autonomy. Shen Shaojie, CEO of Zhuoyu Technology, anticipated that assisted driving will enter the era of foundational models, requiring intelligent driving companies to transform into mobile physical AI enterprises. Hong Tao of Feishu pointed out that misaligned hardware and software development cycles are increasing vehicle complexity, necessitating a reimagined R&D management paradigm. Hou Jinlong, President of Huawei Digital Power, emphasized that megawatt ultra-fast charging networks are crucial for electrifying heavy-duty trucks. Miao Qin, President of JD Auto, identified gaps in service networks and technician availability in NEV after-sales and pledged to integrate manufacturing with services. Gao Dapeng, President of Desay SV, cautioned against directly replicating China’s experience overseas and urged leveraging local strengths. Shi Qinghua, Vice President of Baidu, stated that AI is ushering in an era of “full-scale reasoning” in the auto industry, requiring automakers to proactively plan for computing power and data infrastructure. Qiu Xiaoshen, Chairman of AXERA Tech, noted that intelligent driving has become essential, with the industry splitting into two tracks: regulation-driven penetration in mass markets and breakthroughs in high-end intelligent driving—requiring automakers to secure technological sovereignty. Through forward-looking insights from academicians and experts alongside practical sharing from industry leaders, the forum systematically outlined the development pathways for NEVs in terms of intelligence, sustainability, integration, and globalization, and reached a consensus on building new-quality competitiveness.