Expect some significant changes to China’s approach to new energy vehicles, beginning in March, 2010.

According to a report in Gasgoo, citing the National Development and Reform Commission, regulations on the development of new energy vehicles have been submitted to China’s State Council for approval and are expected to be in place by March next year.

The news follows on from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reclassifying new energy vehicles into three categories earlier this year: start-up technology, such as fuel cell vehicles still at the research level; developing technologies, such as hybrids with lithium-ion batteries; and mature technologies, such as lead-acid battery hybrid vehicles.

According to the report, the current annual production capacities of China’s nickel-hydrogen batteries and lithium-ion batteries will exceed 0.14billion and 0.9billionWH by the end of the year; they are then expected to read 0.36billion and four billion WH by 2010. If each electric vehicle is equipped with a battery with a capacity of 30,000WH, the annual output will meet 150,000 vehicles by 2010.

In addition, the Nikkei reports that Nissan is considering building the LEAF electric vehicle in the city of Guangzhou having signed an agreement with the government in the city to set up an electric car programme.

Later today, our latest Green Piece Column will look at the US-China agreement on electric cars in more depth – so be sure to check back for that.