In recent years, with the increasing global attention to environmental protection and sustainable development, new energy vehicles have been widely promoted as a green travel mode. As an important support for the development of new energy vehicles, the construction of charging infrastructure has also attracted much attention. In January 2025, the data released by the China Charging Alliance showed that the national electric vehicle charging and swapping infrastructure showed a rapid development trend.
1. Significant growth in public charging infrastructure
In January 2025, the number of public charging piles in China increased by 35.1% year-on-year to 3.76 million units, an increase of 181,000 units compared to December 2024. From February 2024 to January 2025, an average of about 81,000 new public charging piles will be added every month. This growth rate shows that China has made remarkable achievements in the construction of public charging infrastructure, which provides a strong guarantee for the popularization of new energy vehicles.
Specifically, the number of DC charging piles and AC charging piles was 1.714 million and 2.046 million respectively. DC charging piles have the characteristics of fast charging speed, suitable for use in public places and highways and other places, which can meet the needs of users for fast charging; The AC charging pile is more suitable for use in residential areas, workplaces and other places to provide users with slow charging services. The reasonable distribution of this type of charging pile can better meet charging needs in different scenarios.
2. The competitive landscape of charging infrastructure operators
In terms of charging infrastructure operators, as of January 2025, the top 15 enterprises in the number of charging piles operated by charging operators in the country are special calls, star charging, cloud fast charging, etc. Among them, 730,000 units were operated by special calls, 642,000 units were operated by Star Charging, and 598,000 units were operated by Cloud Fast Charging. These companies occupy a large share of the charging pile operation market, and their operation mode and service quality have an important impact on the development of the entire industry.
Taking special calls as an example, as the leader of charging operators, it not only occupies an advantage in the number of charging piles, but also makes continuous efforts in technological innovation and service upgrading. The latest group charging products have begun to apply silicon carbide modules, which further improves the charging efficiency and reduces the noise of the equipment. This technological innovation not only improves the user experience, but also sets a benchmark for technological progress in the industry.
Figure: In January 2025, the number of public charging piles in China increased by 35.1% year-on-year to a total of 3.76 million units
3. Coordinated development of charging infrastructure and new energy vehicles
In January 2025, the increase in charging infrastructure will be 395,000 units, an increase of 49.5% year-on-year. Among them, the increase in public charging piles was 181,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 222.5%, and the increase in private charging piles with vehicles was 214,000 units, an increase of 2.9% year-on-year. As of January 2025, the cumulative number of charging infrastructure nationwide will be 13.213 million units, an increase of 49.1% year-on-year. At the same time, the domestic sales of new energy vehicles are 793,000, and the incremental ratio of pile vehicles is 1:2, and the construction of charging infrastructure can basically meet the rapid development of new energy vehicles.
This data shows that China has made positive progress in the coordinated development of charging infrastructure and new energy vehicles. With the increasing number of new energy vehicles, the construction speed of charging infrastructure is also accelerating, and a good interactive relationship has been formed between the two. This coordinated development not only helps to improve the convenience of new energy vehicles, but also further promotes the development of the new energy vehicle industry.
4. Technological progress promotes the upgrading of charging infrastructure
As technology continues to advance, so does the charging infrastructure. For example, the application of silicon carbide devices, the innovation of group charging architecture, and the introduction of industrial large models have brought new opportunities for the development of charging infrastructure. With its high forbidden bandwidth and high thermal conductivity, silicon carbide devices are ideal for new energy vehicles, charging modules, photovoltaic power generation and other fields, which can improve charging efficiency and power density. The group charging architecture can meet the customized needs of different market segments, such as community/park charging, public fast charging, and dedicated charging scenarios. The development of industrial large-scale model technology will promote the digital and intelligent transformation of charging networks, and further empower operation and maintenance, charging safety, and energy regulation through artificial intelligence algorithms.
In addition, innovative technologies such as mobile charging, wireless charging, and megawatt-scale high-power charging are also evolving. The application of these technologies will further improve the intelligence level and user experience of charging infrastructure, and provide stronger support for the development of new energy vehicles.
5. Policy support and market opportunities
The support of national policies is one of the important factors for the rapid development of charging infrastructure. In recent years, the Chinese government has introduced a series of policy measures to encourage and support the construction of charging infrastructure. For example, the convenient charging pile policy in residential areas and the measures to renovate the charging infrastructure in old residential areas not only improve the convenience of residents' lives, but also help the coverage of rural charging networks and strengthen the convenience of electric vehicles between urban and rural areas.
With the continuous advancement of policies and the continuous expansion of the market, the charging infrastructure industry has ushered in huge development opportunities. It is predicted that the construction of charging piles will further accelerate in the next few years to meet the growing demand for electric vehicle charging. This will bring more market opportunities for related enterprises and promote the rapid development of the entire industry.
6. Challenges and solutions
Although China has made remarkable achievements in the construction of charging infrastructure, it still faces some challenges. For example, the layout of charging piles is not perfect enough, and there are problems of insufficient or uneven distribution of charging piles in some areas; The utilization rate of charging piles is not high, which makes it difficult for some enterprises to make profits; There are still problems in the construction and operation of charging facilities, such as inconsistent standards and poor compatibility.
To solve these problems, governments, businesses, and industry organizations need to work together. The government should further strengthen policy guidance and planning layout, and optimize the distribution structure of charging piles; Enterprises should strengthen technological innovation and service upgrading to improve the utilization rate and profitability of charging piles; Industry organizations should strengthen the formulation of standards and standardize management, and promote the interconnection and compatibility of charging facilities.
In conclusion, the rapid development of China's charging infrastructure has provided strong support for the popularization of new energy vehicles, but it also faces some challenges. Through the joint efforts of the government, enterprises and industry organizations, we will continuously optimize the layout, improve the utilization rate, strengthen technological innovation and standardize management, and China's charging infrastructure industry will usher in a better future.
