China's charging stations hit 45-pct pile coverage in 2024: blue paper

The installation rate of charging piles across China's charging stations reached 45 percent in 2024, according to a blue paper on the country's gas and charging station development 2024-2025 released on Saturday.

The data from the blue paper, released at the 2025 Energy Industry Ecology Forum in Beijing, indicates that traditional gas stations are undergoing a profound transformation from providing a single energy source to offering comprehensive services.

The blue paper reported that by the end of 2024, the total number of gas stations in China was 110,600, down 1.92 percent year on year.

Traditional gas stations are gradually integrating oil and gas, hydrogen, charging, and battery swapping services to meet the diverse charging needs of new energy vehicles (NEVs) and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles.

In 2024, the installation rate of charging piles in the country's charging stations reached 45 percent, and the number of hydrogen refueling stations exceeded 300, forming a "multi-energy complementary" supply pattern.

Meanwhile, gas stations are continuously expanding their service offerings, transitioning from simply providing fuel to integrating with cross-industry services such as instant retail, automotive services, and photovoltaic power generation.

China will build a new energy infrastructure for a zero-carbon society, and expedite the development of a new power system to propel the ongoing transformation of the country's energy sector throughout the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

China's charging stations hit 45-pct pile coverage in 2024: blue paper

Acting President Delcy Rodriguez has called on Venezuelans to defense national sovereignty on Saturday against Washington's intention to temporarily "run" the South American nation after the U.S. forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday.

Rodriguez was appointed by Venezuela's Supreme Court after Maduro was flown out of the country by U.S. forces.

In an address aired on Caracas-based news network teleSUR, Rodriguez condemned the U.S. operation as an act of aggression that resulted in casualties among Venezuelan military personnel and civilians. She demanded the immediate release of Maduro and called on people to unite in defense of the country's sovereignty.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States would "run" Venezuela temporarily to ensure what he described as a secure transition. He said that major U.S. oil companies would be permitted to enter the Venezuelan market.

The U.S. action in Venezuela has drawn criticism both at home and abroad.

Several U.S. lawmakers publicly opposed or questioned the military action, while protests were held in a number of American cities including New York, Washington, and Los Angeles.

In Caracas, Venezuelans also gathered on Saturday to condemn the U.S. trikes.

Venezuelan acting president urges sovereignty defense against US takeover threat