China to impose world's first mandatory EV energy consumption cap

 China will implement a new state standard for the energy consumption level of electric vehicles (EVs) starting from 2026, China's top market regulator announced on Friday.

The new standard for passenger vehicles is the world's first to cap the mandatory energy consumption of EVs, the State Administration for Market Regulation said.

Under the standard, automakers will be required to upgrade their products technically. For instance, a two-tonne vehicle must consume less than 15.1 kWh per 100 km.

This is expected to increase EVs' average endurance mileage by about 7 percent.

The mandatory cap of energy consumption, which varies by vehicle weight, is formulated considering the current energy consumption levels of pure-electric passenger EVs and that of specific vehicle models, technical potential, as well as cost control.