This goal of this paper is to provide a framework by which China should accelerate the development and production of new energy vehicles, which should effectively address current energy and environmental pressures, while promoting the sustainable development of the automotive industry, which is an urgent task. In addition, this paper provides guidelines that seek to transform China’s auto industry while developing a new economic growth point to gain an international competitive advantage with strategic initiatives. This study aims to provide an ANP-SWOT (Analytic Network Process and Strength-Weakness-Opportunity-Threat analysis) approach for an interdependency analysis and to prioritize the new energy automobile industry in China. Firstly, a SWOT model is used to analyze the internal and external factors surrounding the development of the new energy automobile industry in China. Secondly, four types of development strategies are proposed by means of the SWOT matrix according to the conclusions of the factor analysis. Finally, the ANP network structure is designed to measure the effects of influential sub-factors, and then to define a strategic plan for China’s new energy automobile industry. The results of this study show that the optimal short-term development strategy for China’s new energy automotive industry is to increase the construction of new energy vehicle-related facilities, while the best long-term development strategy is to use local advantages and resources, through cost control measures which increase competition within the local new energy automotive industry.