context: The PRC is entering a new era with electric vehicles set to become the mainstream of new vehicle sales by 2035. Expansion plans require upgrading the nation's charging infrastructure to meet growing demand and reduce pressure on the power grid.
NDRC (National Development and Reform Commission) and five other agencies issued Action plan to double the service capacity of electric vehicle charging facilities in three years (2025–27) on 15 October. The plan aims to build 28 million charging facilities nationwide to meet the needs of more than 80 million NEVs (new electric vehicles).
The policy emerges as the PRC's NEV market enters a period of large-scale, accelerated growth, reports Caixin
- from January to September 2025, NEV sales were up 34.9 percent y-o-y, accounting for 46.1 percent of all automobile sales, according to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers
- as of June 2025, EV charging facilities reached 16.1 million, including around 4 million public chargers and 12 million private chargers
- coverage at county-level reached 97 percent, and 80 percent at the township level
Vehicle consumption has become a critical lever to stimulate domestic demand. Beijing will accelerate investment in charging infrastructure, especially in large cities with populations above 3 million, explains Zhao Chenxin 赵辰昕 NDRC vice-chair.
While the charging network can roughly meet present demand, several key issues persist, according to an NEA (National Energy Administration) official. These include
- uneven geographic distribution of public charging networks
- structural imbalance in charging facility functions
- insufficient supply in residential areas
- weak grid support in some regions
- subpar operational efficiency
For example, the average power rating of public chargers nationwide is only 45.5 kW, insufficient to meet the need for rapid charging in high-demand scenarios such as highways during holiday periods and urban hotspots.
The plan targets expansion across urban and rural areas and highways. Greater balance is the focus, according to NEA. Currently, urban charging is sufficient, but rural infrastructure remains uneven. Public coverage in all rural areas is the aim.
As charging demand rises, the scale of two way or V2G (vehicle to grid) interaction will also expand. The plan proposes
- continuing large-scale pilot programs for V2G integration
- refining the electricity pricing mechanism for power fed from vehicles back to the grid
- enabling V2G resource aggregators to participate in power market transactions
- adding over 5,000 bidirectional V2G charging facilities nationwide, achieving more than 20 million kWh of reverse power discharge