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Unveiling synergy in China’s new energy vehicle policies: A comprehensive text mining-based quantitative analysis

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  • Xu, Yanshen
  • Long, Zijian
  • Fan, Xu

Abstract

New energy vehicles (NEV) are crucial for advancing global sustainability and achieving carbon neutrality. To facilitate the development of the NEV industry, China has implemented thousands of policies, with policy synergy playing a vital role. However, quantitative assessments of NEV policy synergy remain limited. This study introduces a novel text mining-based framework that integrates weighted association rule mining and semantic analysis to evaluate policy synergy across four dimensions: content, horizontal, vertical, and temporal. This multi-dimensional approach offers a more comprehensive and systematic assessment of policy synergy. The results indicate that for China’s NEV policies, key policy instruments are essential to achieve specific policy goals, such as “Public Awareness Campaigns → Environmental Protection”, and “Enterprise Subsidies → Renewable Energy Promotion”. Moreover, considerable inconsistencies in policy synergy remain across departments, regions, and stages of development. Hence, the Chinese government should strategically align policy instruments with the NEV industry’s development goals. Additionally, policy synergy should be enhanced by considering regional characteristics and temporal dynamics.

Suggested Citation

  • Xu, Yanshen & Long, Zijian & Fan, Xu, 2026. "Unveiling synergy in China’s new energy vehicle policies: A comprehensive text mining-based quantitative analysis," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:176:y:2026:i:c:s0967070x25004342
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.103891
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