BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) — For Li Dongsheng, a new energy vehicle (NEV) owner, a road trip of around 1,000 km from southwest China to the north used to trigger “range anxiety.” However, during this year’s five-day May Day holiday, the journey proved unexpectedly smooth.
At the Fuping service area in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, Li’s vehicle gained 400 km of range via just a 10-minute charge. “With more charging piles along the expressway, long-distance travel in my NEV is no longer a worry,” Li said.
Li’s experience reflects a broader shift in China where NEVs have become a popular choice for long-distance journeys, thanks to advances in battery technology and a rapidly expanding fast-charging network.
“The growing maturity of NEV technology and the continuous improvement of the charging infrastructure network are helping NEVs shake off the label of short-distance commuter vehicles,” said Liu Yongdong, deputy secretary-general of the China Electricity Council. “More vehicle owners are choosing to drive their NEVs on cross-provincial trips and to visit family during the holidays.”
Data from the National Energy Administration showed that China’s highway NEV charging volume had jumped 55.6 percent year on year on the first day of the May Day holiday this year, setting a new single-day record for this holiday.
The Fuping service area, a key hub connecting northwest, north and south China, now features 28 charging piles and two battery-swap stations. During the holiday, six technicians were on 24-hour standby to assist drivers.
“Real-time availability of charging spots can be checked on the digital mapping platform,” said Gao Lipeng, manager of the service area. “Charging is now nearly as easy as refueling a gas car.”
Such convenience is not just about more piles. It is also powered by rapid advances in battery and charging technologies. For instance, earlier this year, BYD, a Chinese NEV pioneer, launched its new battery and charging technology. Under normal temperatures, it takes just five minutes to charge the battery from 10 percent to 70 percent, and nine minutes to reach 97 percent.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has revealed that over the past five years, the average range of Chinese-made electric passenger vehicles has increased to nearly 500 km, while their average charging speed has improved more than threefold.
China is rapidly shifting toward electric mobility. Currently, China has over 21 million charging piles, with full township-level coverage achieved in 19 provinces.
Local authorities across China have stepped up efforts to ensure a worry-free travel experience for NEV drivers. At Shanghai’s Fengjing service area in east China, a hotspot for charging, NEVs can gain 200 km of range in just five minutes. Mobile charging piles and emergency charging vehicles are also on standby to handle peak demand.
Shanghai now operates 26 expressway charging stations with 173 piles, supplemented at busy sites by intelligent mobile charging robots and other solutions. Over the first two days of the May Day holiday, NEV charging volume on the city’s expressways reached 167,500 kWh, a year-on-year increase of 25.82 percent, hitting a new record for this period.
The push for better charging infrastructure is not limited to passenger cars but also extends to the heavy-duty logistics sector. Xin’an Township in central China’s Hunan Province witnessed a dedicated heavy-duty truck charging station. “During peak periods like May Day holiday, what drivers fear most is long queues and broken chargers,” said Zhai Bo, a heavy-duty truck driver.
“Seeing workers on site inspecting equipment and keeping order gives us real peace of mind,” Zhai added, while noting that with continuous infrastructure expansion and technological upgrades, such peace of mind is becoming a new normal for millions of NEV drivers across China.
