China plans to upgrade its electric vehicle charging infrastructure to more than 100,000 ultra-fast charging stations by 2027 to address "range anxiety," according to a new policy blueprint.

Local authorities need to formulate clear construction plans for charging facilities in highway service areas, with priority given to upgrading stations that have utilization rates exceeding 40 percent during major holidays, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a notice issued yesterday.

The notice highlights the urgent need to modernize the country’s charging network as automakers increasingly introduce EVs equipped with 800V high-voltage platforms, which require ultra-fast charging -- typically enabling a charge in 10 to 30 minutes.

As of December 2024, China had 31.4 million EVs, accounting for nearly 9 percent of all vehicles. According to the latest figures from the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance, the number of charging piles reached 14.4 million as of May 2025, equating to one charging point for every 2.2 EVs.

The NDRC also called for the development of “smart and orderly” charging stations, which would encourage off-peak charging through dynamic pricing and support the integration of solar power and energy storage systems to reduce strain on the national power grid.

From an operational standpoint, the agency recommends offering charging station operators leases of at least 10 years, in order to encourage stable, long-term business models. It also supports the use of special-purpose local government bonds to fund high-power charging projects.

The notice also emphasized that high-power charging networks built by EV companies should, in principle, remain open to all users without discrimination.

Li Auto, a major domestic EV maker, recently announced plans to operate 4,000 supercharging stations by the end of this year. As of last month, the company had already installed over 15,000 high-power charging piles.