Ministry to add more charging piles for new energy vehicles on freeways

The Ministry of Transport plans to build 3,000 charging piles at freeway service areas this year to meet the needs of the increasing number of new energy vehicles in the country, said Wang Gang, the vice-minister of transport, on Thursday.

The ministry is also encouraging the construction of ultra-fast, high-powered charging facilities at the service areas.

By the end of last year, China had 21,000 charging piles, and the charging infrastructure network along the freeway system has been improved, Wang said.

New energy vehicles are becoming increasingly popular with motorists, he added.

During this year's Spring Festival holiday from Feb 10 to 17, the daily average flow of new energy vehicles on national highways was 5.94 million, about 10.04 percent of the total daily flow of all vehicles.

During last year's Spring Festival holiday, the figure was 1.72 million, accounting for about 3.81 percent of the total volume.

The ministry's proactive approach to enhancing the charging infrastructure network aligns with the broader national strategy to promote sustainable transportation and reduce the environmental impact of traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles.