Number and distribution of charging piles
As of 2024, China has made significant progress in the construction of charging infrastructure. According to data from the China Charging Alliance, the cumulative number of charging infrastructure nationwide in August 2024 will be 10.999 million units, a year-on-year increase of 52.6%. Among them, there are 3.122 million public charging piles and 7.121 million piles built with vehicles. This growth reflects the rapid development of the new energy vehicle market and the urgent need for charging infrastructure.
In terms of the distribution of public charging piles, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hebei, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Shandong, Fujian, Henan, Shaanxi and other provinces have a high concentration of charging power, showing that the frequency of use and charging demand of new energy vehicles in these areas are large. At the same time, buses and passenger cars are the main service objects of charging piles, while other types of vehicles such as sanitation logistics vehicles and taxis account for a relatively small proportion.
Geographical coverage of charging stations
In terms of geographical coverage, Guangdong, Hainan, Jiangsu and other provinces have taken the lead in achieving the construction goal of "full coverage of charging stations in counties and counties, and full coverage of charging piles in townships and townships". This achievement not only improves the convenience of charging in rural areas, but also provides solid infrastructure support for the promotion of new energy vehicles.
In addition, Du Zhongming, director of the Electric Power Department of the National Energy Administration, said that by the end of 2023, 12 provinces have achieved full coverage of charging stations. This progress has facilitated intercity travel for electric vehicles, as well as charging services in rural areas.
When it comes to charging technology, 2024 has seen several technological advancements. For example, Wang Zhiwu, President of Huawei's Smart Charging Network Domain, mentioned that Huawei will build 100,000 charging piles with customer partners in 2024, including a full line of supercharging green corridors on the Sichuan-Tibet line, which has harsh environments. This shows that the construction and operation of charging infrastructure is feasible even under extreme conditions.
In addition, with the maturity of the third-generation semiconductor technology, the high-voltage charging network has been realized, which provides technical support for the development of supercharging technology. The large-scale mass production of large-rate 4C cells has made overcharging an unstoppable trend. These technological advancements not only improve charging efficiency, but also provide a better charging experience for EV users.
In terms of charging experience, the popularity of new energy vehicles has made private car owners the main force of charging demand, and the charging demand has shifted from cost priority to experience priority. The increasing digitalization of the charging network and the optimization of the operation and maintenance of charging facilities are the key factors to improve the charging experience.
In summary, China has made remarkable achievements in the construction of charging infrastructure, geographical coverage and technological progress, which has provided solid support for the promotion and use of electric vehicles.
Charging queue time
During the National Day, with the arrival of the peak of electric vehicle travel, the queuing problem of charging piles in highway service areas has become the focus of attention of car owners. According to the data of the State Grid Smart Vehicle Networking Platform, during the National Day in 2024, more than one-third of the charging piles in the country's highway service areas will be in full load working state, and the peak hours of the charging busy index will reach 30% to 35%, and the average daily charging times are expected to exceed 336,000 times, an increase of more than 40% over the same period in 2023.
In order to alleviate the problem of charging queues, local governments and charging operators have taken a number of measures. For example, Jiangsu Province has traded-in 850 charging piles in 220 high-speed service areas across the province, increasing the average power of a single gun from 60 kilowatts to 80 kilowatts, an increase of 35% in charging speed. In addition, the power supply department in Zibo, Shandong Province, has upgraded some of the charging piles that were put into operation earlier, increasing the charging power from 120 kilowatts to 240 kilowatts, and shortening the charging waiting time by half.
The charging induction service plays an important role in the optimization of the charging service response. By recommending the optimal charging station for electric vehicle users and planning the corresponding path scheme, the charging induction service effectively improves the charging experience of users. The results show that the comprehensive satisfaction of users can be significantly improved by constructing an electric vehicle charging induction optimization model that integrates the user's detour distance, queuing time and charging cost. For example, it is calculated by the immunization algorithm and the Floyd shortest path
The application of the method can realize the optimization of multiple charging requests, thereby reducing the queuing time and charging cost of users.
Charging Fees & Policies
Charging cost is one of the important factors affecting the charging experience of electric vehicle users. In 2024, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments will issue the "Several Measures to Promote Automobile Consumption" to encourage operators of charging and swapping facilities to reduce charging service fees in stages, and encourage local governments to give preferential treatment to urban bus charging. For example, Haikou City, Hainan Province, has set the upper limit of charging service fees for electric vehicles at 0.65 yuan/kWh.
In addition, the state continues to introduce phased subsidy policies to support the development of charging and swapping infrastructure. For example, in 2023, the preferential policy of exempting demand (capacity) electricity charges for electricity consumption of centralized charging and swapping facilities with a two-part electricity price system will be extended until 2030. These policies help to reduce the operating costs of charging facilities, which in turn reduces the charging costs of users.
At the local level, such as Shanghai, Shenzhen and other places, they have also introduced financial subsidy policies for charging infrastructure, which have further reduced the cost of charging services and improved the construction and operation efficiency of charging facilities through kW subsidies for DC charging or charging and discharging facilities.
Car owners are troubled by charging
During the National Day, electric vehicle owners generally face the problem of long queues when charging in highway service areas. According to the Economic Information Daily, some car owners queued for three or four hours in the service area, which seriously affected the travel experience and mood. In addition, there are also problems such as damage to the charging pile, mismatch of the charging interface, and the occupation of the charging pile by fuel vehicles, resulting in the phenomenon of "insufficient emergency use" and "ineffective use".
According to the data, during the National Day in 2024, the average daily charging times of charging piles in highway service areas across the country are expected to exceed 336,000 times, an increase of more than 40% over the same period in 2023. This growth trend exacerbates the contradiction between supply and demand for charging infrastructure, especially during peak travel hours.
In order to alleviate the problem of charging queues, it is recommended that car owners plan their trips in advance, use the charging guidance service to recommend the optimal charging station, and plan the corresponding path. At the same time, it is recommended that car owners avoid charging during peak hours and use night or off-peak hours to charge at night or during off-peak hours to enjoy preferential electricity bills.
For charging operators, it is recommended to increase investment in the construction of charging facilities, especially in areas with large traffic flow such as highway service areas and tourist attractions. At the same time, improve the operation and maintenance management of charging facilities to ensure the normal operation of charging piles and reduce the failure rate.
Emergency charging solutions
In view of the problem of insufficient charging facilities, a variety of emergency charging solutions are proposed:
Mobile charging vehicles: Mobile charging vehicles are placed in service areas with high traffic flow to provide fast charging services and relieve the pressure on charging piles.
Charging robots: Deploy automatic charging robots to realize the charging method of "pile looking for car" and reduce the time for car owners to find charging piles.
Optical storage and charging integration: build an integrated charging station for optical storage and charging in the expressway service area, use solar energy to generate electricity, and improve the energy self-sufficiency rate of charging facilities.
Construction of battery swap stations: Speed up the layout of battery swap stations, provide fast battery swap services, and reduce charging waiting time.
Charging pile sharing: Encourage the sharing of charging piles and improve the utilization efficiency of charging facilities.
Intelligent charging facilities: Use big data and artificial intelligence technology to optimize the distribution and charging scheduling of charging piles and improve the intelligent level of charging services.
Through the above measures, the charging experience of electric vehicle users can be effectively improved and the charging trouble can be reduced.
China has made remarkable achievements in the construction of charging infrastructure, and the rapid growth in the number and coverage of charging piles has provided a solid foundation for the popularization of electric vehicles. Technological advancements, such as the construction of supercharging networks and the realization of high-voltage charging networks, have further improved charging efficiency and user experience.
The charging service has been significantly optimized by increasing the power of the charging pile, optimizing the charging induction service, and reducing the charging cost. These measures not only alleviate the problem of charging queues, but also improve the charging experience of users.
Despite some progress, EV users still face problems such as long queuing times for charging during peak hours such as National Day. In the future, it is necessary to further optimize charging planning suggestions, improve the operation and maintenance management of charging facilities, and promote emergency charging solutions to improve user experience.
A series of policies issued by the national and local governments, such as preferential charging service fees and financial subsidies for charging infrastructure, have played a positive role in reducing charging costs and improving the construction and operational efficiency of charging facilities. In terms of market response, charging operators and automobile companies are also actively taking measures, such as increasing investment in charging facilities and improving charging technology, to meet user needs.
As the new energy vehicle market continues to grow, the demand for charging infrastructure will further expand. It is expected that in the next few years, the number and technical level of charging piles will be further improved, and charging services will be more intelligent and convenient. At the same time, with the optimization of charging networks and the promotion of emergency charging solutions, the charging experience of electric vehicle users will be significantly improved.