Charging piles show Chinese heft in EVs

According to the NEA, the rapid expansion and modernization of the charging network have been overwhelmingly driven by the private sector, which the central government has consistently encouraged to invest in major energy projects.

It highlighted the key role played by private enterprises, which reduce the dependency on government funding and enable a more agile, market-driven approach to development.

As of end-September, private companies demonstrated market dominance, accounting for eight out of the top 10 charging operators nationwide, it said.

These eight private enterprises collectively operate a commanding 70.7 percent share of all public charging piles. This level of private participation is indicative of the robust, market-led nature of the infrastructure build-out.

The involvement of the private sector extends across the entire operational scale. Previous data indicated that private companies accounted for over 80 percent of large-scale operators — those managing more than 10,000 charging facilities — contributing significantly to the establishment of a reliable network.

This robust competition fosters technological innovation and helps drive down operational costs, benefiting the end consumer, said the NEA.

China's EV charging infrastructure has also been attracting massive and continuous investment from both domestic energy conglomerates and major international players, solidifying its status as a critical global investment hub.

This dual influx of capital and technology is essential for building the world's most extensive and technologically advanced charging network, supporting the shift away from fossil fuels.

Power battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd has partnered with China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec), China's largest gas station operator, to rapidly expand the country's battery swapping network.

Under the agreement, the two parties plan to build at least 500 battery swap stations this year, and aim to increase the number to 10,000 in the future, while also working on establishing a unified national standard for battery swapping facilities as well as jointly managing and operating related assets.

State-owned Sinopec has about 30,000 gas stations and more than 10,000 electric vehicle charging stations nationwide, as well as 28,000 gas stand convenience stores, serving more than 20 million customers per day.

Foreign giants are also making deep commitments to the Chinese market, recognizing its unparalleled growth and innovation speed.

London-based Shell has identified China as one of its most crucial growth markets for electric mobility, with over half of its global EV charging terminals now located in China.

Selda Gunsel, chief technology officer of Shell, said previously that China has been a leading market in the field of EV charging, with as many as 40,000 of the company's 70,000 global charging piles located in the country.

Shell will continue to leverage its extensive global retail and mobility services network to support Chinese EV manufacturers in their international expansion efforts, said Gunsel.

Beyond sheer numbers, technological innovation is reshaping the user experience and grid interaction, moving the system toward intelligent operation.

Significant breakthroughs have been achieved in smart charging technology, with vehicle-to-grid interaction effectively "breaking the deadlock".

V2G allows EVs to not only draw power, but also feed power back during peak times, transforming the vehicles into mobile energy storage units that can significantly enhance overall grid stability and efficiency.

Experts believe the next major frontier for electric mobility in China is the vast rural market, where government incentives are accelerating the switch from traditional internal combustion engines.

Rural regions are poised to provide a major new source of growth for what is already the world's largest EV market, as NEV sales in smaller counties and towns still lag behind first-tier cities, said Liu Yongdong, deputy secretary-general of the China Electricity Council.

The policy focus is strategically shifting to unlock this vast untapped market potential, he said.

According to Liu, over the past five years, the charging infrastructure has rapidly extended into third and fourth-tier cities, and along highways and into rural townships.

Liu added that the 15th Five-Year Plan period is the critical phase for accelerating the construction of the charging infrastructure network system and the breakthrough period for achieving large-scale V2G application.

The council estimates that the charging network will be further expanded and upgraded, with the basic completion of charging networks in cities and metropolitan areas, and by rapidly addressing charging infrastructure deficiencies in rural regions.