Sinopec accelerates expansion in EV charging

China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, has been accelerating expansion in the field of electric vehicle charging at home and abroad, the company said on Thursday.

The energy behemoth has come up with over 6,000 charging stations, covering 370 cities in 31 provinces across the country as of the end of 2023. Charging facilities have also been deployed in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Thailand and Singapore, providing comprehensive support for economic development and people's travel needs, it said.

Having more than 30,000 refueling stations nationwide, ranking second globally and first in China, Sinopec vows to continue broadening its automotive service business, evolving from car wash services to vehicle maintenance and repair, it said.

The company said before it will accelerate the development into an integrated energy service provider of oil, gas, hydrogen, electricity and non-fuel business.

Easy Joy, the retail unit of Sinopec, is among the top players in China's convenience stores in terms of store numbers. Car care service by Easy Joy is conducted in over 9,500 outlets, with an annual car wash exceeding 140 million times, the largest self-operated car wash system in the country, it said.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn