For many car buyers in China today, the question is not about which new energy vehicle to choose, but regarding the level of intelligence it should come equipped with.

In 2025, the country's wholesale sales of NEVs reached 15.3 million units, up 25.2 percent year-on-year, while retail sales totaled 12.8 million units, an increase of 17.6 percent and achieving a penetration rate of 54 percent, according to the latest data from the China Passenger Car Association.

"With the penetration rate approaching 60 percent, the auto market has entered a new stage in which NEVs play a dominant role," said Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the association.

However, with the diminishing marginal effects of the nation's trade-in policies, the phasing-out of purchase tax incentives, and intensifying competition in a saturated market, Chinese NEV brands should enter a new stage of high-quality development driven by technology and value to gain fresh growth momentum, said Wu Songquan, senior chief expert at the China Automotive Technology and Research Center.

"Overall, the auto market is moving toward a new stage of high-quality development, with electrification, intelligence and globalization emerging more clearly as the three main pillars supporting sustainable growth," Wu said.

In this process, a milestone shift is taking place as advanced driver assistance systems are evolving from a "luxury feature" available only on a few models to a "must-have" capability across the entire market, he said.

According to a report jointly released by the CPCA and market consultancy Kerui, the installation rate of Level 2 and above assisted driving functions in NEV passenger vehicles reached 87 percent between January and October.

Data previously released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology also showed that from January to July, the penetration rate of L2 combined driving assistance systems in new passenger vehicles stood at 62.58 percent. This means that six out of every 10 vehicles sold were equipped with basic ADAS functions.