Driven by the "dual carbon" strategy and the wave of intelligent electric vehicles, China's new energy vehicle market continues to develop rapidly and has become the world's largest producer and seller of new energy vehicles. However, the construction of the matching charging infrastructure is still catching up. Although the construction of charging facilities in China has achieved remarkable results, and the coverage rate of charging facilities at the county level has reached 97.31%, the practical challenges of the "last mile" still exist. To support the sustainable development of the new energy vehicle industry, it is necessary to carefully analyze the current situation, identify shortcomings, and systematically think about the future infrastructure development path.
First, the data is eye-catching, and the coverage breadth has been significantly improved
According to the data released by the National Energy Administration in March 2025, as of that month, the total amount of charging infrastructure in China reached 13.749 million units, a year-on-year increase of 47.6%, of which 3.9 million were public charging piles and 9.849 million private charging piles. From the perspective of coverage level, except for Tibet and Qinghai, all provinces in the country have basically achieved full coverage at the county level, with a coverage rate of 97.31%, of which 13 provinces have achieved "full coverage of townships and townships", and the coverage rate at the township level has also increased to 76.91%.
Behind these data, it is the result of the vigorous guidance of national policies, the accelerated layout of power grid enterprises, and the coordinated promotion of OEMs in recent years. For example, during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Energy Administration and other departments have successively issued a number of supportive policies to promote local governments to formulate special plans for charging facilities, and optimize supporting mechanisms such as land, power access, and capital subsidies. Some provinces and cities, such as Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Sichuan, have also achieved remarkable results in terms of financial support and the introduction of private capital.
Figure: The coverage rate of charging facilities in counties in China has reached 97.31%
2. Structural contradictions: Urban-rural differences and uneven distribution coexist
Although the overall coverage rate has improved, the structural imbalance of distribution is still prominent. According to the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance (EVCIPA), as of the first quarter of 2025, the number of charging piles in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai accounted for nearly 40% of the country's total, while the average pile density and utilization rate in the western and some central provinces were significantly low.
Especially in rural and remote areas, although some of them have achieved "full coverage of townships and townships", "having piles" does not mean "easy to use".。 A number of field surveys have shown that charging piles in some townships and towns have been idle for a long time due to low traffic flow and small user base, and operators lack maintenance motivation, resulting in high equipment failure rates and poor user experience. For example, there are 3 charging points in a mountainous township in Guizhou, with an average daily use of less than 1 time, and the annual failure rate of the equipment is more than 30%.
Third, the technical bottleneck restricts the improvement of charging efficiency
From the perspective of power structure, China's low-power charging piles (≤7kW) still account for 58.9%, the proportion of medium-power (7kW~120kW) and high-power (≥240kW) piles is still low, and high-power fast charging piles account for only 6.7%. To a certain extent, this restricts the efficiency of new energy vehicles in long-distance travel and high-frequency operation scenarios.
Although high-power fast charging technology can complete 80% of the power replenishment in 10-15 minutes, its large-scale promotion still faces many obstacles:
- Insufficient power grid capacity: high-power piles need to be equipped with high-voltage power supply systems, which is difficult to carry in the distribution network of some old urban areas and remote towns;
- Vehicle compatibility limitations: At present, only some high-voltage platform models (such as 800V architecture) support overcharging, and the market penetration rate is still low.
- High construction cost: The procurement and installation cost of a set of 240kW dual-gun fast charging pile equipment is more than 180,000 yuan, and the depreciation cycle is short and the return cycle is long.
In addition, the technical standards between operators are not uniform, the interface protocols are incompatible, and the payment system is still fragmented, resulting in frequent user pain points such as "difficulty in finding piles", "difficulty in scanning codes", and "discounted charging power". For example, the protocol interoperability of the two on some early devices still needs to be redirected through an app or a special adapter.
Fourth, the profit model has not yet run through, and operational difficulties are widespread
As an asset-heavy infrastructure with a long return cycle, the business model of charging piles is not yet mature. According to EVCIPA data, the national average pile utilization rate is less than 10%, and most cities below the third tier are even less than 5%. Taking a 120kW DC pile as an example, the annual income is less than 11,000 yuan based on the average daily use of 3 hours and the profit of 0.3 yuan per kilowatt-hour, which is much lower than the annual depreciation and operating cost of the equipment.
In the operating cost structure, site rent, power access fees, network communication and operation and maintenance manpower expenditure account for the highest proportion. For example, in the commercial areas of first-tier cities, the annual rent of a single charging pile can reach more than 30,000 yuan, and the fluctuating electricity price and load pressure also make operators lack the right to speak on the price.
At the same time, after the gradual decline of policy subsidies, there are differences in local financial support, and some private operators have the phenomenon of "abandoning piles", that is, stopping maintenance due to long-term losses after equipment investment, forming a "zombie pile" problem. What's more, some small and medium-sized pile enterprises have withdrawn from the market, and the after-sales guarantee of users cannot be fulfilled, affecting the overall trust foundation of the industry.
Fifth, break through the "last mile" and advance in parallel with multi-dimensional paths
In order to realize the real implementation of the "last mile" of new energy vehicle charging, it is necessary to take a multi-pronged approach from the dimensions of policy guidance, technology upgrading, and model innovation.
1. Increase policy support and focus on the construction of rural and remote areas
The state should continue to provide policy tools such as fiscal subsidies, tax exemptions and exemptions, and preferential electricity prices for areas with low utilization rates. Learn from the successful experience of "village access roads" and "village power connection", promote the "village to village charging" project, and encourage vehicle enterprises and local governments to build a service network.
At the same time, the comprehensive assessment of population density, commuting paths and electricity consumption capacity in township areas should be strengthened, and the layout of charging piles should be scientifically planned to avoid waste of resources.
2. Promote the unification of standards and the interconnection of platforms
Industry authorities should take the lead in accelerating the development of unified charging interface standards, communication protocols and payment interface specifications. Support leading enterprises to jointly build an open platform, improve the cross-brand and cross-regional charging experience, and realize "one pile with multiple vehicles, one vehicle with multiple piles".
At the same time, we will increase policy support for "smart piles", promote piles with V2G (vehicle-network interaction), load regulation and data backhaul capabilities, and serve the construction of distributed energy systems and smart cities.
3. Strengthen technological innovation and domestic substitution of key equipment
Increase R&D investment in emerging technologies such as high-voltage fast charging, wireless charging, and flexible power supply, and support the localization of key components such as power devices and control modules. Encourage scientific research institutes and leading enterprises to build joint laboratories to promote the transformation from "equipment manufacturing" to "system solutions".
For example, CATL, BYD and other companies have launched a variety of 800V platform models, driving the demand for high-voltage fast charging piles, and operators can also adjust the pile layout according to the model structure to improve the use efficiency.
4. Explore diversified profit models to improve operational sustainability
In the future, charging piles should not only be regarded as "power terminals", but should become "urban service nodes". Operating enterprises can expand the following diversified profit directions:
- Advertising and information display: using pile LED screens to deliver local life advertisements;
- Parking + Charging Joint Operation: Cooperate with parking lots and shopping malls to carry out "parking + charging" integrated services;
- Energy management services: Participate in peak and frequency regulation of the power grid with the help of V2G function to obtain benefits;
- Membership-based service bundling: Jointly launch value-added services such as "monthly fast charging" and "point rebate" with OEMs and e-commerce platforms.
Conclusion: keep push forward
The construction of charging facilities for new energy vehicles in China has entered a new stage with "making up for shortcomings and improving quality" as the core. From the improvement of data volume, to the optimization of spatial layout, the maturity of the technical system and the diversified development of business models, every step is related to the sustainability of the entire new energy ecosystem.
Realizing the true smoothness of the "last mile" is not only a problem of hardware coverage, but also a systematic issue of supply and demand coordination, experience optimization and industrial collaboration. In the future, with the accelerated integration of electrification, intelligence, and networking, the charging network will no longer be an "accessory" to transportation infrastructure, but an important carrier of energy digitalization and urban governance modernization. In this context, all parties should jointly promote the formation of a more efficient, green, open and inclusive charging network system to provide solid support for the large-scale popularization of new energy vehicles.
