China makes great strides in expressway charging pile coverage

(ECNS) -- China rapidly advanced its new energy vehicle infrastructure in 2024, with charging facilities now covering 97 percent of the country's expressways.

The Ministry of Transport announced on Wednesday that by the end of November 2024, 97 percent of highway service areas in China were equipped with charging facilities, up from 85 percent at the end of 2023.

The total number of charging piles has reached 33,100, with 49,300 charging parking spaces, marking an increase of 12,100 piles and 16,600 spaces compared to the previous year.

With regards to fast-charging facilities, highway service areas across the country have widely adopted those of 120 kW and above.

Provinces such as Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and Guangdong have also built ultra-fast charging stations with capacities of 600 kW to 800 kW to meet the demand for rapid charging.

Additionally, mobile charging robots have been introduced at highway service areas in Sichuan, Hunan, and Xinjiang to help travelers save time searching for charging facilities.

According to official forecasts, self-driving travel is expected to remain the dominant mode of transportation during this year's Spring Festival travel season, with an estimated 7.2 billion trips.