China EV Charging Infrastructure Reaches 20.7 Million Units as of January 2026

China EV charging infrastructure continued its rapid expansion in January 2026, reflecting the country’s accelerating adoption of electric mobility and large-scale investment in charging networks. According to data released on March 2 by the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance (EVCIPA), the country’s charging ecosystem has expanded significantly, with millions of charging points now supporting the growing fleet of New Energy Vehicles (NEVs).

Rapid Growth in National Charging Infrastructure

As of January 2026, the total number of domestic charging facilities reached 20.698 million units, representing a 49.6% year-over-year increase. Public charging facilities accounted for 4.801 million units, growing 31.2% compared with the previous year. Private charging installations expanded even faster, reaching 15.897 million units and recording a 56.1% annual growth rate.

This sharp rise highlights the increasing role of home and private charging points in supporting the broader electrification ecosystem, especially as EV ownership continues to rise across major urban centers.

Monthly Increase in Charging Facilities

In January 2026 alone, the national charging network added approximately 606,000 units, marking a 53.3% increase compared with the same period in the previous year.

• Public charging facilities increased by 84,000 units
• Private charging facilities increased by 522,000 units

While the growth of public infrastructure slowed with a year-over-year decline of 53.6%, private installations surged dramatically, rising by 143.5% year-over-year. This trend reflects stronger adoption of residential charging solutions and growing EV ownership in suburban and residential areas.

Charging Network Keeping Pace with NEV Sales

China’s charging network expansion has broadly kept pace with the rapid growth of NEV sales. In January 2026, domestic NEV sales totaled 643,000 units, while newly installed charging facilities reached 606,000 units.

The resulting ratio of roughly 1.1 vehicles per charging facility suggests that infrastructure deployment is progressing at a rate that supports the country’s expanding electric vehicle fleet.

Electricity Consumption for Charging

The increasing number of charging facilities is also reflected in rising electricity consumption. Nationwide charging electricity consumption reached approximately 9.99 billion kWh in January 2026. This represented an increase of 920 million kWh compared with the previous month and a year-over-year rise of 66.4%.

Public buses and passenger vehicles accounted for the majority of electricity consumption, highlighting the growing electrification of urban transport systems.

Regional Concentration of Public Charging Infrastructure

Public charging infrastructure in China remains concentrated in key economic regions. Approximately 65.6% of all public charging facilities are located in ten major provinces and municipalities.

• Guangdong – 813,000 units
• Zhejiang – 384,000 units
• Jiangsu – 359,000 units
• Shandong – 290,000 units
• Shanghai – 257,000 units
• Henan – 239,000 units
• Fujian – 213,000 units
• Anhui – 212,000 units
• Sichuan – 211,000 units
• Hubei – 205,000 units

Charging electricity consumption is similarly concentrated across leading provinces including Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hebei, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Shandong, Fujian, Henan, and Shaanxi.

Battery Swapping Infrastructure Continues to Expand

Alongside charging networks, China’s battery swapping ecosystem also continued to expand. As of January 2026, the country operated 5,925 battery swapping stations, representing a 29.9% year-over-year increase.

Leading Regions and Operators

Guangdong ranked first among provinces with 740 battery swapping stations. Among operators, NIO remained the market leader with 3,736 stations nationwide, highlighting the growing role of battery swapping technology in China’s EV infrastructure landscape.

The continued growth of charging networks and battery swapping facilities demonstrates the scale of infrastructure development required to support the rapid expansion of electric vehicles across the Chinese automotive market.