Deputy Minister of Industry and Information Technology: Addressing “Involution” Competition in the Automotive Industry! Lei Jun’s Latest Statement: Expected R&D Investment Exceeds 30 Billion Yuan
On March 29, during the 2025 China Electric Vehicle Hundred People Forum, Deputy Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Xin Guobin, along with relevant officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Lei Jun, founder, chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi Group, shared their insights.
Xin Guobin: Comprehensive Measures to Address “Involution” Competition in the Automotive Sector
At the forum, Xin Guobin announced that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will focus on several initiatives: First, to further strengthen technology breakthroughs. Second, to accelerate the industrialization of autonomous driving. Third, to actively stabilize and expand automotive consumption. This includes drafting a new plan to ensure steady growth in the automotive industry, implementing policies for vehicle trade-ins, supporting new energy urban buses, and enhancing charging infrastructure in rural areas.
Moreover, the ministry aims to promote digital transformation across the entire automotive supply chain. This involves applying artificial intelligence in various scenarios such as vehicle research and development, manufacturing, and operational management. The ministry will also work on developing and promoting evaluation standards for digital transformation service providers in the automotive sector.
Lastly, there will be a further deepening of industry management reforms to comprehensively address “involution” competition and implement special actions against unfair competition online, thereby fostering a healthier market environment.
Ministry of Commerce: Future Implementation of Vehicle Trade-In Policies to Support New Energy Vehicle Purchases
Officials from the Ministry of Commerce highlighted at the forum that China’s new energy vehicle market continues to grow rapidly this year. The ministry plans to eliminate barriers in the circulation of new energy vehicles. Recent data shows that as of March 28, over 1.769 million applications for vehicle trade-in subsidies have been submitted, with national retail sales of new energy passenger vehicles exceeding 2.05 million units, marking an approximate 34% increase compared to the same period last year. Last year, the total number of vehicle trade-ins exceeded 6.8 million, of which about 4 million were new energy vehicles. It is projected that one-third of the new energy vehicles retailed in 2024 will benefit from trade-in subsidies.
Officials emphasized a commitment to deepen the implementation of vehicle trade-in policies and appropriately enhance support for purchasing new energy vehicles to unlock consumption potential. The focus will remain on addressing circulation bottlenecks in new energy vehicles and strengthening support systems.
Lei Jun: Expected R&D Investment to Exceed 30 Billion Yuan This Year
Lei Jun stated at the forum that technology is foundational, and ongoing investment in underlying technologies is crucial. Five years ago, Xiaomi committed to investing 100 billion Yuan over five years. To date, Xiaomi has invested approximately 105 billion Yuan, with expectations for this year’s R&D investment to exceed 30 billion Yuan. Lei emphasized that significant investment is essential for achieving technological excellence and quality products.
Lei mentioned that Xiaomi has reached a consensus with several partners, indicating that Xiaomi’s ecological products will soon be integrated into vehicles from other manufacturers, facilitating resource sharing. “Xiaomi’s strategy is centered on the human-vehicle-home ecosystem, and we are particularly open to collaborating with others to expand this ecosystem,” he noted.
Horizon Robotics: Cumulative Delivery of Over 7.7 Million Intelligent Driving Solutions
Yu Kai, founder and CEO of Horizon Robotics, reported that the company holds a market share of 33.97% in the autonomous driving computing solutions market for domestic brands. Data indicates that in 2024, Horizon delivered approximately 2.9 million intelligent driving solutions, bringing the total deliveries to 7.7 million by December 31, 2024.
Overall, the forum highlighted the commitment of various stakeholders to foster innovation and growth in the electric vehicle sector, ensuring a robust future for the industry.
