Nine Ministries, Including MOFCOM, Introduce Measures to Regulate New Energy Vehicle Repair and Warranty Services

By the end of 2025, China's new energy vehicle (NEV) fleet is expected to reach 43.97 million units. As market adoption grows, issues such as high repair costs and limited service channels have become increasingly prominent. Some NEV manufacturers offering "lifetime warranties on the three core electric components" (battery, motor, and power electronics) require that vehicles undergo maintenance and repairs exclusively at authorized dealerships; otherwise, warranty coverage is voided. This has left consumers facing a situation where they can afford to buy but not to repair their vehicles. In response to these challenges, nine government departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, jointly issued the "Notice on Measures to Cultivate and Expand Automotive Aftermarket Consumption," introducing regulations in three key areas: First, automakers are prohibited from refusing to honor statutory "three guarantees" (repair, replacement, and return obligations) solely because consumers choose third-party maintenance or repair services. Second, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and battery producers are encouraged to open up technical information and grant repair authorizations to a broader range of service providers. Third, the policy promotes "repair over replacement" and aims to enhance the overall capacity of the socialized repair service network. High repair costs for NEVs stem largely from their complex integration of numerous radars, cameras, and intelligent driving-related hardware and software. Repairs often require simultaneous hardware replacement, software recalibration, and system alignment. Additionally, the widespread use of integrated die-casting technology further complicates repairs. This technique predominantly employs aluminum alloys, which tend to crack brittlely upon impact and are difficult to repair locally—typically necessitating full component replacement. Repair costs for such parts can be as much as four times higher than those for conventional steel-structured components.