China builds world’s largest EV charging network with 167,000 stations

[grey boy 2]

China builds world’s largest EV charging network with 167,000 stations
By Sun Wenyu (People's Daily Online) 17:17, September 06, 2017

A total of 167,000 charging piles have now been connected to the telematics platform of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), making it the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network.

By cooperating with 17 charging station operators, the SGCC now offers more than 1 million kilowatt-hours of power each day. In addition, users can complete their payment for the service within the system.

China has built the largest EV charging network in the world to date, with the highest number of facilities, the broadest coverage, and the most advanced technology.

Statistics show that SGCC has built 5,526 charging and battery swap stations and more than 40,000 charging piles since 2006, with a fast-charging motorway network that covers 121 cities in 16 provinces. The average distance between two stations is less than 50 kilometers.

SGCC plans to expand its own charging pile count to 120,000 by 2020, and the inter-city fast charging network will cover Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, all cities in the Yangtze River Delta, and 202 major cities in other regions.

According to SGCC Spokesperson Wang Yanfang, the company will reduce the maximum distance between charging stations to less than 5 kilometers in suburban areas, less than 3 kilometers in inner suburbs, and less than 1 kilometer in urban areas.
http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0906/c90000-9265487.html

 

[Martian2]

China is building the necessary infrastructure to achieve energy-independence in transportation.

With an extensive "electric-vehicle charge network," the electricity generated by wind turbines and solar panels can be used to power electric cars and trucks.

China's massive construction of wind-power generators, solar farms, nuclear power plants, and a "smart electricity grid" (to evenly distribute electricity) is to enable freedom from oil imports.

Without electric vehicles and a widespread "electric-vehicle charge network," China would be susceptible to an oil embargo that would strand millions of traditional gasoline-powered cars.

The interesting thing about China is it keeps working relentlessly to achieve strategic goals.

An oil-embargo can occur in two ways. Either MidEast suppliers want higher prices or the US Navy could pose a problem. By switching to electric vehicles, China negates the potential problem of an oil-embargo.

 

[unbiasedopinion]

This is very steady and progressive step towards oil in-dependence.

Can anyone tell me the environment cost of using electric vehicles? I mean the main source of power is the battery in these vehicles which has a shelf life of couple of years. What happens to them? Will it result in electric garbage which will be hard to manage later on.

 

[GS Zhou]

I mean the main source of power is the battery in these vehicles which has a shelf life of couple of years. What happens to them?

That's a very good question! Because a good management of these retired EV (Electric Vehicles) batteries are crucial to the sustainable development of EV.

The EV industry is now employing a concept called "Gradient Utilization" to deal with the retired EV batteries. These batteries will be firstly used as part of the energy storage system, for about 5 to 6 years (during this period, the battery's energy density will be gradually decreased from 80% to below 40%); after that, these batteries will be recycled, i.e. turns to be the raw materials of new batteries.

For example, below is the containerized energy storage system that co-developed by BYD (China's No.1 EV car maker, also the No.1 EV battery supplier), and GEM (China's No.1 battery recycling player)

 

[paritosh]

China builds world’s largest EV charging network with 167,000 stations
By Sun Wenyu (People's Daily Online) 17:17, September 06, 2017

A total of 167,000 charging piles have now been connected to the telematics platform of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), making it the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network.

By cooperating with 17 charging station operators, the SGCC now offers more than 1 million kilowatt-hours of power each day. In addition, users can complete their payment for the service within the system.

China has built the largest EV charging network in the world to date, with the highest number of facilities, the broadest coverage, and the most advanced technology.

Statistics show that SGCC has built 5,526 charging and battery swap stations and more than 40,000 charging piles since 2006, with a fast-charging motorway network that covers 121 cities in 16 provinces. The average distance between two stations is less than 50 kilometers.

SGCC plans to expand its own charging pile count to 120,000 by 2020, and the inter-city fast charging network will cover Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, all cities in the Yangtze River Delta, and 202 major cities in other regions.

According to SGCC Spokesperson Wang Yanfang, the company will reduce the maximum distance between charging stations to less than 5 kilometers in suburban areas, less than 3 kilometers in inner suburbs, and less than 1 kilometer in urban areas.
http://en.people.cn/n3/2017/0906/c90000-9265487.html

Nordic countries have kits being bought by private players that set-up these charging stations. There is a company by the name of Fortum that integrates these stations through a mobile app and their cloud servers to let customers and operators use these charging stations remotely. Payment is done digitally.
Could be the next step for China as well.
India as usual is behind this curve, we are in the stage of dealing with RFPs for the private sector to own and 'set up' an area for the Modi govt's ambitious 2030 electric vehicle push. God knows how badly india and china need to reduce their carbon emissions

 

[JohnyD]

good, lets get rid of air and noise pollution....hope some serious R&D is being done worldwide to produce durable and quickly rechargeable batteries for vehicles..wondering, solar panels on car roof can be used to charge the batteries, specially in places where there is abundant sun light during day time...

 

[BABA AGHORI]

It is very impressive, and the way to go ahead China.
India should also take a note of it. It will solve many problems with a single shot.

An oil-embargo can occur in two ways. Either MidEast suppliers want higher prices or the US Navy could pose a problem. By switching to electric vehicles, China negates the potential problem of an oil-embargo.

Even before the revenue starts creeping in. One of the taps would run dry for CPEC.

 

[GS Zhou]

wondering, solar panels on car roof can be used to charge the batteries, specially in places where there is abundant sun light during day time...

that's a good advice. But hard to be realistic.

- Currently, the energy efficiency of solar panel is about 15%, i.e. 1m2 solar panel could generate 0.15kwh electricity in an hour with very strong sunshine.

- Suppose a car could carry 4m2 solar panels on its roof (2m x 2m), i.e. 0.6kwh generated in an hour.

- The EV battery is about 60kwh in size, i.e. we need 100hours of sunshine to get it fully charged. Meanwhile, considering the split of daytime vs. night, rain days vs. sunshine days, etc. the real time needed will be much longer than 100hours. That's why it is not realistic.

 

[GS Zhou]

Map of the expressway-based Electric Vehicles (EV) fast charging network of China State Grid. That's a good map to showcase the size of the current network. The key expressways in the eastern part of China have been almost fully electrified.

 

[AndrewJin]

Map of the expressway-based Electric Vehicles (EV) fast charging network of China State Grid. That's a good map to showcase the size of the current network. The key expressways in the eastern part of China have been almost fully electrified.
View attachment 423681

Yes, Eastern China has higher expressway density than most western countries.
We need to further upgrade this charging network.

2011