China's highways to see record-high EV charging volume during Spring Festival holiday

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The electric vehicle (EV) charging volume on China's highways is set to hit a record high during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, according to data from the State Grid Corporation of China.

Daily highway charging volumes are expected to average over 7.5 million kilowatt-hours during the eight-day holiday which starts on Jan. 28, marking a 52-percent year-on-year increase, the data showed.

The single-day peak charging volume during the holiday period is projected to exceed 9 million kilowatt-hours -- expanding by 34 percent from the same period last year.

Peak travel days ahead of the holiday, namely January 26 and 27, will see charging demand spike between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., as millions of travelers hit the roads, the data revealed.

To meet rising charging demand, China has accelerated the construction of charging infrastructure. By the end of 2024, 98 percent of highway service areas had charging facilities -- with 35,000 charging poles in place.

Notably, the number of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in use in China had reached 31.4 million by the end of 2024, marking a 260-fold surge over the past decade, thanks to the country's technological progress in the NEV industry, the improvement of charging infrastructure and Chinese people's growing eco-friendly awareness.