China, where electric vehicle adoption is most active in the world, is rolling up its sleeves to expand its fast-charging infrastructure. With the prediction that the proportion of pure electric vehicles in China will exceed half by 2030, the Chinese government plans to install more than 100,000 fast-charging stations nationwide by 2027. To this end, the government has instructed electric vehicle companies to open up charging infrastructure so that stations can be used regardless of vehicle brand.
On the 7th, the National Development and Reform Commission of China announced the plan for the distribution of fast-charging stations for electric vehicles and related guidelines through a public notice. This notice was jointly announced by the National Development and Reform Commission, the National Energy Administration, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Transport. The notice aims to elevate electric vehicle charging to the level of refueling internal combustion engine vehicles with three pillars: ▲ technology advancement ▲ on-site tailored infrastructure ▲ integration with the power grid.
By the end of 2027, a total of more than 100,000 fast-charging stations will be deployed across China. Infrastructure will be established starting from highway rest areas with high user volumes. To this end, each region must develop high-output conversion plans, starting with charging stations at highway rest areas that have a utilization rate of over 40% during peak seasons. The government has also established a principle that electric vehicle companies must open their self-constructed fast charging infrastructure to the public. The Chinese government aims for a charger availability rate of over 98%.
According to the Chinese economic media outlet, Economic Observer, the government introduced the concept of "intelligent and orderly charging stations" in this notice. This system is based on a mechanism that interacts with the power grid in real-time, utilizing renewable energy and energy storage systems (ESS) according to local conditions to alleviate power load. The government has instructed charging station operators to record error data generated during charging and to strengthen real-time monitoring and error handling capabilities.
Chinese local governments are providing land for charging stations for long-term leases of over 10 years to operators in accordance with government guidelines and are pursuing financial support through special municipal bond issuance. Incentives for the construction and operation of charging stations will also be offered to promote medium- to long-term operational stability.
Additionally, the Chinese government has emphasized the localization of key components. It aims to accelerate the development of domestic substitute products for key components, strengthening the overall advancement and localization of the electric vehicle fast-charging industry that leads from "parts production to self-system establishment to service."
According to reports, the background of this notice is the rapid growth of the electric vehicle market alongside consumer dissatisfaction with charging infrastructure. According to official statistics from the Chinese government, the number of electric vehicles in China is expected to reach 31.4 million by the end of 2024, accounting for 8.9% of all vehicles. In 2024, the number of new electric vehicle registrations rose to 11.25 million, an increase of 3.82 million (51%) compared to the previous year. In the first five months of this year, a total of 5.61 million vehicles were sold, marking a 44% increase compared to the same period last year. However, it has been pointed out that most of the 14.4 million total charging infrastructures are low-output facilities, and ultra-fast charging is still in the introduction phase.
Chinese electric vehicle companies have entered into competition to build fast-charging stations. According to the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance, Guangzhou Automobile Group's subsidiary, Guangzhou Automobile Aion has the most extensive charging network in China, with 13,659 fast-charging stations. Following them, Tesla, Weilai, and Volkswagen have more than 10,000 stations each.
Li Xiang, which has built 15,000 fast charging stations, plans to add 4,000 more by the end of the year, and Weilai recently completed the construction of its 1,000th battery exchange station along highways, completing its charging network in 550 cities nationwide.