THE government is exploring new plans for the future of its car industry, weighing a target for 60 percent of all automobiles sold in China to run on electric motors by 2035, Bloomberg News quoted sources familiar with the matter as saying Sunday.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is spearheading the government’s latest auto industry plans for 2021 through 2035, said the sources. The proposals are still under discussion and subject to change, according to the sources. The ministry said in July that it plans to disclose a draft of the targets by the end of the year.

China’s last roadmap on the auto industry was announced in 2017, when the government said new energy vehicles (NEVs) — all-electric, fuel-celled autos and plugin hybrids — would account for more than 20 percent of the country’s total vehicle sales by 2025.

Under the latest proposal, the NEV target for 2030 is 40 percent, according to one of the sources, as the country looks to lead the world in the push away from combustion engines.

China’s industry ministry said the plans are being made and related content studied, without elaborating.

The 2035 target would represent a 12-fold jump in the proportion of NEVs sold now, which stands at about 5 percent, and adds pressure for global carmakers to electrify their fleets to compete in the world’s largest car market.

Though exact comparisons weren’t immediately available, BloombergNEF estimates that NEVs — excluding commercial vehicles — will account for 56 percent of total passenger vehicles in China by 2035.

The move could help allay growing concerns that China’s commitment to electric cars is wavering for a burgeoning industry that’s still heavily reliant on government support.

(SD-Agencies)