Explain China Electric-Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in 3 Levels

In this episode of the Three Levels Podcast, we explore the EV charging infrastructure in China. The country has experienced significant growth in charging infrastructure to meet the increasing demand for electric vehicles. China has approximately 1.8 million public charging points and over 3.4 million private charging units. This expansion is supported by policies and investments in charging station construction.<br/><br/>We discuss the three levels of the EV charging industry supply chain in China. The upstream segment includes suppliers of charging station components, while the midstream involves the integration, manufacturing, and operation of charging stations. The downstream segment consists of new energy vehicle manufacturers and charging service providers. We focus on four major charging operation companies: Star Charge, Teld, State Grid, and Yunquick. These companies operate a large number of charging stations across China and offer various charging solutions.<br/><br/>Additionally, we delve into the charging infrastructure standard, including China's GB/T standard and the widely used CHAdeMO standard. We also explore battery swapping technology, particularly NIO's Battery-as-a-Service program.<br/><br/>Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in smart EV charging. China has set ambitious targets for charging infrastructure deployment, emphasizing the need for grid infrastructure upgrades and load management strategies. Integration with renewable energy sources and energy storage solutions are also explored as means to enhance the sustainability and reliability of the charging infrastructure.<br/><br/>Music credit: Great podcast intro By Lundstroem<br/><br/>Earlier episode on China EV industry: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2207899/13191277<br/><br/>Reference:<br/>IEA (2023), Global EV Outlook 2023, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/gl....obal-ev-outlook-2023 License: CC BY 4.0<br/><br/>High Power (Chaoji), CHAdeMo. https://www.chademo.com/technology/high-power, accessed July 2023.<br/><br/>“Chart: The number of charging piles in China increased by nearly 100% year-on-year in 2022.” https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2023-02/14/content_5741406.htm<br/><br/>“As of March 2022, the cumulative number of charging infrastructure nationwide reached 3.109 million units.”  https://cj.sina.com.cn/articles/view/2723054902/a24e853600100znrb<br/>https://openstd.samr.gov.cn/bzgk/gb/newGbInfo?hcno=7A7B5C5C84E6B8B26CC06EE82D36329A<br/><br/>“How does Star Charge address the ‘last mile’ charging anxiety for electric vehicles?”, 36Kr, August 3rd, 2022, https://36kr.com/p/1855253607665287<br/><br/>“Teld”, https://www.teld.cn/<br/><br/>“Yunquick”, http://www.ykccn.com/<br/><br/>“Connection set for conductive charging of electric vehicles—Part 2: AC charging coupler”, https://openstd.samr.gov.cn/bzgk/gb/newGbInfo?hcno=1CABFC2874B7A9C7089442BF8A90CDDA<br/><br/>“Connection set for conductive charging of electric vehicles—Part 3: DC charging coupler”, https://openstd.samr.gov.cn/bzgk/gb/newGbInfo?hcno=870A56EEEA3DAE12A3F07CA3A8CE25BE<br/><br/>“CHAdeMo”, https://www.chademo.com/<br/><br/>“NIO Baas (Battery as a Service)”, https://www.nio.cn/baas<br/><br/>“NIO’s 150 kWh solid state battery is to be implemented”, https://www.gkzhan.com/news/detail/158881.html<br/><br/><br/>