China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) industry is booming. With robust government support, various policies are being rolled out to encourage NEV consumption across the country. While efforts to promote NEVs are in full swing, consumer concerns have shifted from “range anxiety” to “charging anxiety.” During the 2024 Spring Festival travel rush, reports emerged of long queues at charging stations, highlighting the still-inadequate charging infrastructure.

Government Policies Boost Charging Infrastructure Development

Since the start of 2024, China has introduced numerous favorable policies for the charging infrastructure sector. Early in January, the National Energy Administration (NEA) issued a notice on applying for the “Charging Infrastructure Construction and Application Demonstration Counties and Towns” project. This initiative aims to accelerate the development of NEV charging infrastructure to support NEV adoption in rural areas and promote rural revitalization.

According to Zhang Xinyuan, head of research at Co-Found Think Tank, “Policy support is expected to speed up the construction of charging stations, providing strong support for the widespread use of NEVs and creating vast market opportunities for companies in the charging pile industry chain.”

Charging Infrastructure Growth and Statistics

Data from the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance shows that in 2023, the number of charging facilities increased by 3.386 million units, up 30.6% year-on-year. By December 2023, the total number of charging facilities nationwide reached 8.596 million units, a 65% year-on-year increase.

Considering the total NEV sales of 9.495 million units in 2023, the ratio of new charging facilities to new NEVs was 1:2.8. This indicates that the charging infrastructure can generally meet the rapid growth of NEVs. In the first two months of 2024, this ratio improved to 1:2.4, with a total of 9.023 million charging facilities by February 2024, a 63.7% year-on-year increase.

Regional Distribution and Challenges

As of February 2024, public charging piles in the top 10 regions—Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Hubei, Shandong, Beijing, Anhui, Henan, and Sichuan—accounted for 70.7% of the total. Most charging activities were concentrated in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hebei, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Shandong, Fujian, Shaanxi, and Henan, primarily serving buses and passenger cars.

However, rural areas lag in charging infrastructure, presenting a significant barrier to NEV adoption in these regions. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has highlighted that insufficient charging facilities remain a bottleneck for NEV usage, particularly in rural areas.

Key Policies Supporting Charging Infrastructure

Several significant policies supporting the charging infrastructure were introduced in early 2024:

• On March 1, the NDRC and NEA issued guidelines for high-quality distribution network development. These guidelines aim to enhance distribution network capacity and flexibility, supporting the integration of distributed renewable energy and charging piles.
• In a collective study session, President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to build a robust new energy infrastructure network to support NEV development.
• The Ministry of Transport plans to add 3,000 charging piles and 5,000 charging parking spaces in highway service areas this year.
• By 2025, the goal is to achieve full coverage of charging stations in every county and charging piles in every town.

Corporate Involvement in Charging Infrastructure

Many companies are seizing opportunities in the charging pile market:

• Huawei plans to deploy over 100,000 super-fast charging piles in 2024, with 20,000 already operational.
• Tesla has announced the deployment of 55,000 superchargers globally.
• Xiaomi, with its new vehicle model Xiaomi SU7, is also entering the charging pile market.
• Shell aims to increase its public charging terminals to 200,000 globally by 2030.
• LG Electronics has launched an EV charging pile factory in Texas, USA, capable of producing over 10,000 units annually.

Future Prospects of the Charging Pile Industry

Huawei’s President of Digital Energy, Hou Jinlong, predicts a tenfold increase in EV ownership and charging capacity over the next decade. The China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance expects significant policy support for the industry until at least 2025, with an increasingly open and diverse market.

Conclusion

The NEV and charging infrastructure sectors in China are set for rapid growth, driven by strong government policies and active corporate participation. As the industry evolves, the focus will remain on addressing infrastructure gaps, particularly in rural areas, to support the widespread adoption of NEVs and ensure a sustainable future.