China releases battery plan with technology and recycling goals

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released a battery-industry plan for 2026–2030 on September 28. It sets technology targets and includes reported proposals for collecting used batteries, expanding recycling capacity in some export markets and coordinating battery data.

China’s plan pairs battery development with collection goals

Reported provisions call for companies to establish used-battery collection systems in line with their sales volumes. The plan also encourages recycling capacity in major export markets where conditions permit.

On battery data, the plan proposes digital identities for products including new-energy-vehicle (NEV) batteries, explores internationally accepted battery-passport arrangements and promotes mutual recognition of carbon-footprint data. These proposals sit alongside China’s separate national traceability system, established under earlier rules.

Battery targets are industrial milestones

The plan targets initial large-scale application of all-solid-state batteries by 2030. It also sets a target of 15,000 charge-discharge cycles for long-life lithium batteries and calls for product-defect rates at leading manufacturers to reach parts-per-billion levels by 2030.

The intended battery supply system centers on lithium, complemented by sodium and flow batteries. The plan also identifies advanced electrode materials and new electrolytes as development priorities. Its all-solid-state target concerns industrial-scale application; it does not set a consumer-car release date.

China’s earlier battery-traceability rules

Separate interim measures, issued by MIIT and five other departments on January 16, took effect April 1, 2026. They assign each NEV power battery a digital identity and establish a national traceability platform.

The January measures exclude vehicle models that support battery swapping. When the rules were announced, MIIT said it was developing separate management measures for those models. The rules also treat a scrapped vehicle without its traction battery as incomplete.

China expects more than 1 million tonnes of used batteries a year by 2030

China’s government projected in January that used-battery generation could exceed 1 million tonnes annually by 2030. The forecast adds scale to the collection and traceability measures as the country sets its longer-term battery-industry goals.