China EV Charging Connectors Top 23 Million as Network Expands

China's national EV charging infrastructure grew 43.2% year-on-year to reach 23.057 million connectors by the end of June 2026, according to National Energy Administration data. Private connectors grew 50.4% to 18.048 million, while public connectors rose 22.3% to 5.009 million. The expansion reflects rising rural coverage, with county-level reach hitting 98.61%, and increased high-power charging deployment, which topped 180,000 connectors. Highway charging set records during the 2026 May Day holiday, demonstrating growing operational capacity during peak travel demand.

Reaching over 23 million charging connectors, alongside rapid growth in both private installation and rural coverage, indicates that China's supporting infrastructure is expanding to reduce range anxiety for EV drivers in lower-tier markets and on long-distance highway routes.

China’s total network of electric vehicle (EV) charging connectors reached 23.057 million by the end of June 2026, registering a 43.2% year-on-year increase, according to official figures from the National Energy Administration released on July 28. The steady growth highlights a sustained policy push to build out supportive infrastructure as electric vehicle adoption scales across urban, suburban, and rural regions. The updated statistics show robust expansion in both public and residential charging segments. Public charging connectors expanded by 22.3% year-on-year to reach 5.009 million units by the end of June, boasting a combined rated power capacity of 247 million kilowatts. This brings the average power output for public connectors to approximately 49.35 kilowatts per unit. Private charging infrastructure experienced even more rapid growth, surging 50.4% year-on-year to reach 18.048 million connectors, with total registered electrical capacity standing at 155 million kilovolt-amperes. In addition to expanding total volume, policymakers and operators have focused on high-power capabilities and geographic coverage. By the end of June 2026, China had installed more than 180,000 high-power charging connectors nationwide to cater to demand for faster charge times along primary transit corridors. Concurrently, network density in lower-tier markets advanced significantly, with county-level charging coverage reaching 98.61%, improving service availability for township and rural EV owners. The expanding national network faced heavy utilization during peak holiday travel periods. During the May Day holiday in May 2026, expressway charging facilities nationwide processed 3.9784 million charging sessions, delivering a total of 94.9314 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. Daily charging volume on expressways averaged 18.9863 million kilowatt-hours during the holiday—a 14.09% increase compared to the previous peak recorded during the Spring Festival—setting a new high for expressway charging operations.