China's nationwide smart vehicle-to-grid platform logged a record of over 10 million kilowatt-hours of charging on expressways on Wednesday, the first day of the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, up 18 percent from the same period last year, according to State Grid - China's largest electric utility corporation.
To ensure smooth travel for new energy vehicle (NEV) owners, the State Grid across the country introduced flexible measures.
At the Chang'an Service Area on the Shanghai-Kunming Expressway in Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province, five mobile charging stations have been temporarily installed alongside the fixed charging points to handle the surge in charging demand. Additionally, anticipating potential queues, the local authorities newly equipped the toll station adjacent to the service area with 20 fast-charging piles.
At the Yunhe Expressway Service Area in Zhejiang's Lishui City, to enhance the charging experience, the local power supply department doubled its maintenance staff, keeping them on 24-hour standby to monitor the operational status of 20 charging stations. They will also proactively provide operational guidance to ensure orderly charging.
"Now I can use a mobile app to check nearby charging stations and available spots in real time - it's incredibly convenient. The charging speed is also very fast," said Qiu Haonan, a NEV owner.
Beyond adding charging stations, power departments nationwide have expanded digital platform applications during this holiday. In east China's Anhui Province, a charging facility capacity assessment platform has gone live.
Every 15 minutes, the platform automatically analyzes charging station usage, predicts demand during different time periods, and issues instructions to guide scenic areas and service areas in flexibly scheduling charging equipment.
"Using this platform, we've added plenty of charging stations near scenic areas with historically high demand for power charging. This reduces charging wait time for travelers and alleviates range anxiety," said Chen Jianmin, a staff member of the State Grid Hefei Power Supply Company.
Meanwhile, in Zhenjiang City, east China's Jiangsu Province, power authorities utilized a vehicle-to-grid platform to relocate 40 underutilized charging stations to key transportation hubs and tourist attractions, enabling swift charging for holiday travelers. The platform also monitors the operational status of over 700 charging stations in real time.
Should any charging malfunction occur, it immediately alerts maintenance personnel to ensure uninterrupted service for NEV owners during the holiday period.
NEV charging hits record high on 1st day of National Day holiday
