China Requires EV Charging Stations to Accommodate all Brands, Offer Consistent Pricing

The nation that leads the world in batteries, EVs, and charging stations is trying to extend its infrastructure even further by opening it up to everyone, without distinction or discrimination.

China sports a broad variety of high-powered charging (HPC) hubs, including networks built and operated by EV stalwarts like Tesla, State Grid Corporation of China, ABB, XJ Group Corporation, Potevio New Energy Co., Ltd, LuCharge, TELD, Xiaofeng Charging, EAST, Star Charge, Li Auto, Build Your Dreams (BYD), Xpeng, Zeekr, and more.

But apparently only NIO, XPeng, and Zeekr are open to third-parties (though with higher rates and reduced discounts), and the vast majority of charging stations are proprietary.

The distribution of these chargers is also very strategic, with 15 cities containing 57% of the country’s public charger stock as of 2022. China obviously prioritizes cities for its charging infrastructure, with the International Council on Clean Transportation pointing out that several cities have “widely-distributed public charging networks in their urban cores, in which virtually 100% of EV drivers can find a public charger within 20 minutes of driving time.”

And in order to open up these public EV chargers – projected to reach 8.6 million by 2030 – to a broader swath of the public, China’s General Office of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has ordered that HPC networks “should be open to all users without discrimination” (i.e., more standardized price points).

“The network of high-power charging facilities built by new energy vehicle companies should, in principle, be opened up without distinction,” said the NDRC. “Charge point operators must strengthen the internationalization of high-power charging standards and promote the coordinated development of domestic and international charging standards.”

And as part of a broader plan to deploy an additional 100,000 HPC hubs across China by the end of 2027, ‘multi-service’ charging models should be integrated with commercial outlets (like retail stores).

Given the state of the global charging market, none of this is surprising. The U.S. has a patchwork of EV station charging standards, with most stations open to all customers (though with potentially varying pricing models), and even Tesla’s Supercharger network recently opened up to all, albeit with non-Tesla drivers needing adapters.

And given their centrally-planned economy, it’s no surprise that China would take the standardization of EV charging a step further, requiring consistent pricing. By 2030, China is projected to have a full 67% of the world’s total publicly available EV chargers – an absolutely insane stat, with so many cities around the globe climbing aboard the EV bandwagon – and they’re aiming to make their world-leading charging network as accessible as possible.­