China powers up NEV travel infrastructure for May Day holiday surge

During the May Day holiday, an increasing number of travelers in China turned to new energy vehicles (NEVs), benefiting from improved charging infrastructure and smarter energy services.

Starting May 1, the May Day holiday in China is a five-day celebration that offers an extended break for travel, leisure and festivities.

The country is rapidly expanding its charging infrastructure to meet soaring demand and ensure smooth long-distance travel with NEVs. According to the National Energy Administration (NEA), by the end of March 2025, China had installed over 13.7 million charging units nationwide, registering a year-on-year increase of more than 47 percent.

In Beijing, where some of the busiest highway charging stations are located, NEV drivers expressed satisfaction with the ease of charging during the holiday rush.

"The charging service is really smart. There are plenty of chargers here, and it's really convenient. Plus, there's even a lounge to rest in," said Liu Jiangtao, an NEV owner.

To meet the holiday surge, some service areas deployed mobile charging vehicles and increased staff members to provide technical support.

"These mobile charging vehicles are flexible and can handle urgent needs on site," said Yang Guang, deputy general manager of State Grid (Beijing) New Energy Vehicle Co.

Scientific and technological innovation is also transforming the NEV charging experience. From automated robots to smart monitoring systems and ultra-fast charging stations, new tools are making charging faster and more efficient.

The NEA is now coordinating with relevant departments to draft new guidelines for building high-power charging stations.

"High-power charging should be prioritized on highways to meet fast-charging needs. In mega-cities, we also need to build more infrastructure to serve taxis, commercial vehicles and private cars," said Liu Yongdong, deputy secretary-general of the China Electricity Council.

So far, more than 38,000 charging units have been installed along highways, covering 98 percent of service areas across the country, according to the NEA.

At the Cicheng service area on the Shengyang-Haikou expressway, the largest highway charging station in east China's Zhejiang Province, 47 chargers were operating at full capacity during the holiday.

"We have staff on-site to assist NEV drivers and have deployed two mobile charging vehicles to meet demand at any time, so as to ensure worry-free travels during the holiday," said Ding Zheqiang, a staff member at the State Grid Ningbo Power Supply Company.

Across the nation, China is accelerating the rollout of fast and ultra-fast charging stations to enhance the NEV travel experience.

On the Rongcheng-Wuhai Expressway's Wendeng service area, newly installed 160-kilowatt dual-gun chargers cut wait times by 70 percent.

"This charger is amazing. It took just 30 minutes to go from 50 percent to full. It was a great charging experience," said Yang Xing, a traveler.

Meanwhile, in Shenzhen's popular coastal destination Dameisha, a newly launched ultra-fast demonstration charging station saw peak usage during the holiday. Using cutting-edge 600-kilowatt liquid-cooled technology, one NEV could gain up to 500 kilometers of range in just 10 minutes.

"Dameisha also offers a mix of fast, slow and V2G (vehicle-to-grid) chargers, capable of serving up to 13 vehicles at once," said Zheng Jie, operations manager at Southern Power Grid's Yantian Branch.