China's 100K Ultra-Fast Charger Plan: BYD, TSLA & Others in Focus

Yahoo

3 days ago

China is literally charging ahead when it comes to preparing for an electric future. This week, the country unveiled an ambitious plan to build 100,000 ultra-fast public EV chargers by 2027—a move aimed at easing access and cutting wait times for the growing number of EV drivers.
As more people switch to electric vehicles (EVs), the world's largest EV market is accelerating efforts to build better and faster charging stations. The plan is to make charging easier, quicker, and more reliable so that drivers don't have to worry about running out of power on the road.
In 2024, electric car sales in China jumped nearly 40% to more than 11 million. The total number of EVs on the road by the end of last year was more than 31 million, or about 9% of all vehicles in the country. Per China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the number is expected to reach 32.9 million in 2025, a 4.7% increase from 2024. By 2030, pure electric cars are expected to make up over half of all vehicles in China.
The 100,000-station target is part of a broader push to fix longstanding issues in China's charging infrastructure — especially slow speeds, limited public access and grid strain.
The announcement came from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), which wants to reduce wait times and improve access, especially during peak holiday travel.
As of September 2024, China had around 14.4 million EV chargers. Of those, only 3.3 million chargers are public, and ultra-fast options are still limited. That's a big reason why many EV drivers still worry about finding a charger when they need one.
Per the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance, the number of charging piles totaled 14.4 million as of May 2025, which translates to one charging point for every 2.2 EVs.
The new plan focuses on building smarter and faster stations. These chargers will use dynamic pricing, offering lower rates during off-peak hours to help reduce strain on the power grid. They will be powered in part by solar energy and battery storage, which will make them more efficient and sustainable.The NDRC has also directed local governments to focus on busy highway stops and areas with high traffic volumes. Old chargers that see high usage—especially during holidays—will be replaced with newer, faster ones.
Most importantly, EV charging networks will need to be open to all drivers, regardless of the brand of car they own. This should make it easier for people to find and use chargers, instead of being limited to just one company's network.
Some of the biggest names in the industry—from homegrown giants like BYD Co Ltd BYDDY, Geely Automobile GELYY and Li Auto LI to global players like Tesla TSLA—are racing to roll out fast chargers across the country.
BYD is making one of the boldest moves yet. In March, the EV giant unveiled plans for 'megawatt' chargers that can add up to 400 kilometers of range in just five minutes. BYD originally talked about building 4,000 of these chargers but later raised its target to 15,000 through partnerships. While the company hasn't given a clear timeline, it's clear BYD wants to lead the charge. Still, the success of these high-powered units will depend on how widely they're deployed—and whether the costs make sense.
Zeekr, backed by Geely Automobile, is pushing the limits even further. Two weeks after BYD's bold charging claims, Zeekr announced plans to launch the world's first 1,200 kW charging station with liquid-cooled technology. Zeekr currently runs more than 1,500 charging stations in China and is aiming to grow that number to 10,000+ by the end of next year.
Li Auto is also scaling up fast. As of May 2025, it had 2,414 super-charging sites across China with over 13,000 stalls. Li Auto wants to more than double that to 4,000 stations by the end of the year. Li Auto is especially focused on making highway charging easier and plans to cover 90% of China's major routes by 2025. That could be a game-changer for long-distance EV travel.Li Auto currently carries Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Tesla rolled out its next-gen V4 Superchargers in China this month. These units can deliver up to 325 kW of peak power, enough to add around 200 miles of range in 15 minutes for compatible vehicles. Importantly, the new V4 chargers are designed to work not just with Tesla, but also with other EV brands. With over 11,000 charging stalls already in China, Tesla is working to keep its network ahead of the curve.
China's EV charging overhaul is central to the country's electric mobility future. Automakers are not just selling electric cars anymore—they're building the infrastructure that will power the future.
BYD and Tesla are well-positioned with big bets on fast-charging tech. Li Auto's highway strategy and Zeekr's power play could also pay off if executed well.
With bold government targets and fierce competition among automakers, the race is on to eliminate charging pain points. If China succeeds, it could set a global standard for how to scale EV adoption at speed and at scale.
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