(Yicai Global) Sept. 11 -- China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology have started to consider a schedule for banning the production and sales of petroleum-fueled vehicles, state-owned news agency Xinhua quoted Xin Guobin, deputy minister of the authority, as saying at an international auto forum held in Tianjin from Sept. 8 through Sept. 10.

Some countries have made a head start in defining deadlines to stop the production of petrol-fueled vehicles, he said. "MIIT has begun research and we'll make a schedule based on collaboration with other departments.

"These actions will make significant changes to both the environment and driving forces of China's auto industry, Xin said, but didn't elaborate further.

The period from now until 2025 will see big changes in the industry, he added. The market will see increasing demand for energy-saving and emission-reducing features on cars, and will have higher requirements for technologies in new ones. Intelligent networked vehicles will also have an impact.

China is the biggest maker and distributor of new-energy cars and last year saw over 500,000 sold in the country to put more than a million on its road, making up around half of the world's NEVs.