China Unveils 17 Measures to Upgrade and Expand Automotive Aftermarket Consumption

BEIJING, 8 July — Nine Chinese government authorities including the State Administration for Market Regulation and the State Administration of Financial Regulation have jointly issued a new policy document supporting the high-quality development of the automotive aftermarket. The official guidelines introduce 17 targeted measures covering six core sectors: vehicle modification, caravan camping, classic car operation, maintenance and insurance, motorsport events and automotive rental services.

According to industry observers, the document marks the first comprehensive and systematic national policy specifically tailored for China’s automotive aftermarket. It signals a clear strategic shift in the country’s automotive industry, moving beyond reliance on new vehicle sales expansion to focus fully on consumption upgrading and value expansion across the entire vehicle lifecycle.

China’s automotive sector has entered a mature stock competition phase after decades of rapid expansion. The country maintains the world’s largest vehicle parc, forming a massive foundation for aftermarket services ranging from routine maintenance and parts replacement to personalised upgrades and travel-related experiences. Growth in new vehicle sales has gradually stabilised amid market saturation, while the long-developed automotive aftermarket has faced structural constraints including inadequate industrial standards, insufficient high-quality supply and single consumption scenarios, limiting the release of domestic consumption potential.

The newly released policy framework aims to eliminate institutional barriers, standardise industrial operations and foster new consumption scenarios, injecting fresh momentum into consumption upgrading and industrial transformation. It establishes unified regulatory standards for previously undersupervised niche segments, creating a safer, more transparent and standardised market environment for consumers and industrial participants.

The new rules set up a classified management system for vehicle modification, clarifying official allowable modification lists covering exterior decoration, interior upgrading and functional optimisation while prohibiting unregulated and excessive alterations. A dedicated national technical committee for automotive modification will be established to formulate unified national standards for modification components, construction techniques and safety inspections. A compulsory CCC certification mechanism for modified parts will be fully implemented, standardising the whole industrial chain from component production and on-site reconstruction to final safety assessment and eliminating long-standing grey-area operations in the modification sector.

In vehicle maintenance and spare parts circulation, the policy targets prominent consumer pain points. It mandates full disclosure of service standards, charging details, component categories, pricing and warranty terms across all maintenance outlets, effectively curbing hidden charges, false maintenance and excessive repairs. New regulations prohibit vehicle manufacturers from restricting consumers’ independent choice of maintenance services under the pretext of official vehicle warranties. Automakers are required to fully open new energy vehicle maintenance data and dedicated component supply channels, standardising the circulation of original parts, branded alternative parts and remanufactured components. The promotion of repair-first replacement models will optimise service efficiency and reduce consumer usage costs.

The guidelines fill long-standing regulatory gaps in emerging automotive business formats. Unified national management standards are introduced for caravan road access, parking and camping site operations, resolving fragmented regional supervision and practical difficulties restricting caravan travel. For grassroots motorsport events, the policy simplifies approval procedures and improves unified rules for venue management, safety supervision and risk control, supporting the standardised development of mass motorsport culture.

The policy incorporates classic vehicle operation into national supportive frameworks for the first time, standardising the full lifecycle procedures of appraisal, circulation, exhibition and themed events. The institutional improvement will unlock market potential in classic car collection, experiential consumption and vintage vehicle exhibitions, diversifying the traditional aftermarket service system.

Diversified consumer scenarios will drive industrial structural upgrading. Local authorities can leverage regional resource endowments to develop rally races, off-road events and karting experiences, building themed travel routes centred on motorsport activities and driving integrated growth in catering, accommodation and cultural tourism industries.

For the automotive rental sector, the policy encourages brand-oriented, chain-based and large-scale industrial development. Flexible service models including one-way rental, lease-to-own and mixed long-and-short-term rental services will be promoted to meet diverse demands for commuting, business travel and short-distance travel. Updated industrial norms adapt to the fast-growing battery-swapping new energy vehicle sector, clarifying battery property registration rules for rental fleets and improving urban mobility service systems.

Beyond short-term consumption stimulation, the new guidelines build a long-term development mechanism for the automotive aftermarket through systematic service optimisation and financial supporting measures. The government will further standardise maintenance procedures and component circulation channels while promoting innovative insurance products and streamlined claim settlement services to address persistent consumer concerns over high maintenance costs and complicated compensation procedures.

A total of 40 national pilot cities for automotive consumption reform will carry out trial practices, exploring replicable development models for modified vehicle consumption, caravan tourism and mass motorsport events. Pilot experience will be scaled up nationwide to drive overall industrial upgrading, guiding the sector to transform from fragmented small-scale operations to standardised, branded and large-scale development.

Continuous policy implementation will accelerate the popularisation of new automotive consumption scenarios and expand high-quality service supply across the aftermarket. China’s trillion-level automotive aftermarket will steadily release consumption potential, serving as a core engine for stabilising bulk consumption and advancing the high-quality transformation of the national automotive industry.