Study on the Theme Evolution and Synergy Assessment of China’s New Energy Vehicle Policy Texts

Abstract

Drawing on data from 133 Chinese New Energy Vehicle (NEV) policy documents from 2007 to 2023, this study utilizes Dynamic Topic Modelling (DTM), social network analysis and a quantitative model to investigate the evolutionary path of policy themes and the coordination effects. The following results were obtained. (1) A thematic cross-sectional analysis identified six core policy themes, namely, coordinated promotion of technology and finance, industry development and safety standardisation, market service and technical support systems, promotion strategy and urban cluster development, industrial capital and safety supervision mechanisms, and policy support and market expansion. The analysis also mapped the distribution of hot spots within these themes. (2) The keyword co-occurrence network of the NEV policy indicated that the network structure evolved from an initial ‘overall dispersion–theme concentration’, comprising 16 policy themes, to an ‘overall stability–theme coordination’, consisting of 14 policy themes. (3) The coordination degrees across the three types of policies exhibited a consistent upward spiral, with the comprehensive coordination index surging from 30 in 2007 to 951 in 2023, underscoring the complementary effects among policy instruments. These conclusions offer valuable insights for government departments to understand NEV development trends and dynamically adjust policy themes accordingly.