The Chinese government has announced a new three-year action plan to help strengthen the country’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, as it looks to address consumer concerns over range and availability of charging facilities, with the aim of increasing the adoption of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in the country.

Demand for new energy vehicles (NEVs) in China, comprising mainly battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), has accelerated in 2025, driven by government stimulus including trade-in incentives and cuts in vehicle purchase taxes. Overall NEV retail sales rose by 30% to 9.475 million units in the first nine months of the year, accounting for over 50% of total vehicle sales in the country.

The government is widely expected to phase out its vehicle trade-in incentives at the end of the year, while purchase tax cuts will also be scaled back, which could lead to a drop in NEV sales next year.

China’s National Development and Reform Commission, together with other government agencies announced a number of measures designed to expand the country’s EV charging network coverage, as well as to improve operational efficiency and service quality. The government aims to have a network of 28 million chargers nationwide by the end of 2027, up from 17.4 million at present, with public charging capacity expected to surpass 300 million kilowatts – enough to meet the demand of over 80 million EVs.

Existing charging networks, particularly in urban areas and in expressway service stations, will be upgraded to fast-charging systems, while networks in rural areas will be expanded to reduce charging infrastructure shortages. The plan also includes expanding and improving charging infrastructure in residential areas, including private charging facilities.