Alleviating charging anxiety for new energy vehicles, high-power fast charging becomes the new favorite.

In recent years, new-energy vehicles have experienced rapid growth, but this surge has also brought along numerous challenges—among them, "charging anxiety" has become particularly prominent. Long charging times and the lack of sufficient charging stations are the issues that car owners complain about most frequently. Therefore, as essential complementary products for new-energy vehicles, the importance of charging piles is self-evident.

Ouyang Minggao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Vice Chairman of the China Electric Vehicle 100 People Association, stated at the China Electric Vehicle 100-Person Forum that the widespread adoption of new-energy vehicles has led to challenges in EV charging as well as painful adjustments within the energy industry chain. He emphasized that, in the pursuit of a low-carbon future, accelerating the transformation of energy infrastructure should be prioritized even more urgently. He also noted, "If EVs take too long to recharge, we must address the issue of rapid energy replenishment. Currently, we need to gradually transition from fast charging toward ultra-fast charging. During this transitional phase, it’s perfectly acceptable—and even beneficial—to continue using fast chargers simultaneously with ultra-fast ones, effectively doubling or even tripling the charging power by employing two or three charging guns at once."
Additionally, BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu also highlighted the "multi-gun supercharging" model as a solution to alleviate users' charging anxiety. He noted, "The multi-gun supercharging model offers better compatibility and future scalability, while remaining user-friendly—and it doesn’t require any changes to existing standards. Instead, it can be easily implemented by simply adding a certain number of gun heads or cabinets. This approach effectively resolves the ongoing debates among stakeholders regarding differing opinions on standardization." Currently, the public charging infrastructure predominantly features lower-power charging stations, leading to issues such as slow charging speeds, long queue times, and low turnover efficiency—challenges that make it difficult to meet users' growing demand for convenient and efficient charging experiences. To address this pressing need, high-power fast-charging solutions are becoming increasingly essential, and accordingly, high-power charging stations are gaining widespread recognition and adoption.
So, how can we address the current charging anxiety surrounding new-energy vehicles? Beyond simply boosting battery energy density, what about the promising developments in high-power super-fast charging and battery-swapping solutions? Let’s take a brief look. Many car owners have complained that although their residential communities are equipped with public charging stations, the number is far insufficient, leading to noticeable queues as drivers wait their turn. As a result, some are forced to head to public charging points located several kilometers away. Meanwhile, others share that they’re unable to install private charging stations within their neighborhoods, leaving them with no choice but to rely on public chargers—where even fast-charging sessions often require an hour-long wait, significantly detracting from the overall driving experience.

According to statistical data, in 2022, China's nationwide sales of new-energy vehicles reached 6.87 million units, representing a year-on-year increase of 96%. Meanwhile, the total number of new-energy vehicles in circulation climbed to 13.1 million, with market penetration reaching 27.6%, up by 12.6 percentage points compared to 2021. In 2022, the country added 2.593 million charging infrastructure units, marking a significant year-on-year growth of 99.1%. As of December 2022, the cumulative total of charging facilities across China stood at approximately 5.21 million units, resulting in a vehicle-to-charger ratio of 2.55:1—meaning that for every 2.55 new-energy vehicles, there is one charging station available to serve them. Notably, the number of newly installed public charging stations surged by 91.6% year-on-year, while the addition of privately installed charging piles accompanying new vehicles jumped by an impressive 225.5%, reaching 1.942 million units. By the end of 2022, the total number of privately installed charging stations paired with vehicles had reached 3.412 million units. However, despite the growing number of private charging stations, only 36% of new-energy vehicle owners have chosen to install chargers at their own homes. This leaves 64% of EV drivers still relying on public charging stations to meet their energy needs.
Unlike refueling traditional fuel vehicles, the speed of charging new-energy cars has become one of the biggest concerns for users. Therefore, accelerating the construction of charging infrastructure has emerged as a critical prerequisite and urgent necessity for the sustainable development of the global new-energy industry. To support the charging-pile industry, China already stepped up its backing for charging stations through the newly released subsidies for new-energy vehicles in 2019, and provinces and cities have since introduced their own tailored policies. In March 2020, China officially included charging piles under the umbrella of "New Infrastructure," marking the beginning of a transformative new phase in the industry. Since then, the number of charging stations has been rapidly expanding. This February, eight departments under China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology jointly issued another notice, further bolstering the charging-pile sector. The new policy emphasizes increasing the proportion of new-energy vehicles among newly added or replaced vehicles in pilot areas, aiming to reach 80% in sectors such as public transportation, taxis, and sanitation services. Additionally, it sets an ambitious target of achieving a 1:1 ratio between the number of newly installed public charging piles and the promotion of new-energy vehicles.
The notice outlines reference targets for the deployment of new energy vehicles in 36 pilot regions, with Beijing and 10 other regions set to promote 100,000 vehicles each. Another 11 regions, including Shandong, aim to roll out 60,000 vehicles, while 14 regions—such as Hainan—are targeting 20,000 vehicles. Correspondingly, these regions are expected to install approximately 1 million public charging piles. It’s clear that the nation is making substantial investments in building charging infrastructure, which is playing a crucial role in accelerating the rapid growth of both the new energy vehicle market and the charging-pile industry. As a result, charging stations are poised for significant expansion under the boost of supportive policies. Currently, China’s vehicle-to-charger ratio stands at 2.55:1, still far from the target of 1:1 outlined in the "Guidelines for the Development of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (2015–2020)," which aimed to achieve this balance by 2020. By once again emphasizing the goal of a 1:1 vehicle-to-charger ratio—this time specifically focusing on vehicles in the public sector—the latest notice is likely to spur robust growth in the charging-pile market. Notably, the notice also explicitly states that charging piles delivering 180kW or higher should be converted into standard units and then multiplied by 1.1, signaling support for advancing high-power DC fast-charging technologies. With policy incentives driving improvements in EV infrastructure, particularly through the widespread adoption of high-capacity charging stations, concerns about "range anxiety" are gradually being alleviated. This, in turn, will further enhance consumer confidence and accelerate the penetration rate of new energy vehicles.

According to estimates from the China Charging Alliance, China is set to add 3.4 million vehicle-mounted charging piles in 2023, bringing the total number of installed charging facilities to 6.812 million—up more than 80% year-on-year. Among these, 975,000 will be public charging piles, including 565,000 AC chargers and 410,000 DC chargers. Additionally, 60,000 new public charging stations will be added, increasing the total number of stations to 171,000. At this pace, the growth rate of charging infrastructure is clearly outpacing that of new energy vehicles, which will further reduce the car-to-charger ratio and, in turn, provide a strong boost to the development of the new energy vehicle industry.
From the perspective of the international market, new-energy vehicles are also set to experience rapid growth in the coming years, which will inevitably lead to a corresponding surge in the demand for charging infrastructure. It is reported that, to support the electric vehicle industry in reaching its ambitious targets, global charging infrastructure will need to expand more than 12-fold by 2030—meaning over 22 million EV charging stations for light-duty vehicles must be installed annually. Meanwhile, in 2020, the European Union unveiled its "Green Transport Transition Plan," aiming to deploy roughly 1 million public charging points across Europe by 2025, with an even more ambitious goal of establishing 3 million public charging stations by 2030.
So, the global demand for charging stations is continuing to expand, and the era of widespread public charging infrastructure is accelerating. However, compared to China, the gap in charging infrastructure in overseas markets is even wider, making it urgently necessary to step up the deployment of charging stations. Take the U.S. as an example: despite the steadily increasing penetration rate of new-energy vehicles, the vehicle-to-charger ratio there remains as high as 17:1, highlighting the pressing need to optimize and enhance the charging station network. By 2021, high-power, high-voltage fast-charging solutions have gained growing favor among automakers. Initially, international giants like Kia and Hyundai began rolling out 800V high-voltage charging platforms, followed closely by domestic Chinese automakers such as BYD, Great Wall, GAC, and XPeng, which have also introduced their own 800V platforms. As a result, the superior high-voltage fast-charging experience is poised to become a key differentiating factor in the electric-vehicle market.

In 2022, XPeng launched the G9, which supports 800V high-voltage fast charging. The vehicle features an 800V SiC (silicon carbide) high-voltage electric drive platform, delivering up to 95% efficiency in power output. This innovation boosts the car’s overall range by more than 5%, while significantly enhancing energy-replenishment efficiency—allowing drivers to add 200 kilometers of range after just 5 minutes of charging. As a result, high-voltage fast charging has quickly become a market favorite. According to industry estimates, by 2025, China is expected to see approximately 999,000 new-energy vehicles equipped with the 800V high-voltage architecture, representing a remarkable 3-year CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 270.9%. Meanwhile, globally, the number of new-energy vehicles adopting the 800V high-voltage system is projected to reach 2.153 million units, with a robust 3-year CAGR of 189.2%.
From the perspective of users' charging behavior at public charging stations, 87.9% of users prefer high-power charging facilities rated at 120kW or above when replenishing their energy, while only 1.6% opt for charging stations with power below 60kW. Notably, the largest group—accounting for 35.1%—chooses high-power charging stations in the 120kW-150kW range. This clearly highlights that charging speed has become a critical bottleneck hindering the development of new-energy vehicles. As a result, car owners are increasingly inclined toward high-voltage, fast-charging options when selecting charging stations, since factors like charging time and parking fees also come into play during the process. Ultimately, high-power charging equipment better aligns with users' practical preferences.
Currently, breakthroughs in battery technology for new-energy vehicles primarily follow two main approaches: one focuses on extending driving range, while the other emphasizes high-voltage, fast-charging technology. While longer ranges have already been achieved, the number of supporting charging infrastructure hasn't kept pace—leaving us with no choice but to compress charging time as a temporary solution. However, due to the voltage limitations of silicon-based IGBT power devices, most electric vehicle charging systems today rely on 400V fast charging. If automakers aim to further accelerate the charging process, they’ll need to boost charging power—but this inevitably leads to higher energy losses during transmission. As a result, 800V high-voltage charging is now gaining traction. To increase charging power, there are essentially two options: either raise the voltage or step up the current. Yet choosing to increase the current would require thicker power cables, which could lead to excessive heat generation not only in the charging gun and cable itself but also in critical components like the动力电池 (power battery). Such overheating would significantly amplify energy losses during transmission, making it far from the ideal approach.
Therefore, choosing to increase the voltage emerges as the optimal solution—upgrading the voltage platform from 400V to 800V or even higher—to enable the expansion of high-voltage systems and achieve fast charging capabilities exceeding 350kW. When the current remains constant, the charging power doubles along with the system voltage, significantly reducing the charging time. This is precisely the principle behind how 800V high-voltage supercharging enhances charging efficiency. Notably, if the charging power stays the same, the high-voltage wiring harness in an 800V supercharging architecture can be smaller, leading to lower costs. At the same time, energy losses are also minimized, while thermal management becomes relatively less challenging. Overall, this approach not only boosts charging speed but also helps reduce heat dissipation, lighten the vehicle’s overall weight, optimize the powertrain structure, and improve safety performance.
From the perspective of various practical applications, high-voltage fast charging can achieve maximum-power charging over a broader range, better aligning with future demands for rapid charging. It also alleviates concerns about long charging wait times, enhances operational efficiency, and ultimately boosts vehicle range. Industry experts believe that compared to increasing battery capacity—which significantly raises the cost and weight of electric vehicles—high-voltage fast charging not only addresses the issues of slow charging and range anxiety but also helps reduce overall vehicle costs. Moreover, provided that high-voltage, high-power charging infrastructure is available, a 5-minute charge could enable an impressive 500-kilometer range, perfectly meeting users' needs for quick energy replenishment.
The industry has thus reached a consensus: high-voltage fast charging effectively addresses range anxiety and the need for rapid recharging in electric vehicles, making it a new emerging trend in the evolution of future energy-supply technologies. Accordingly, vehicle models equipped with 800V high-voltage platforms, along with ultra-fast charging networks capable of delivering high power, are now accelerating their deployment. Beyond XPeng’s G9 (available for configuration and inquiry), Li Auto previously announced at the launch event for its Li L8 (also available for configuration and inquiry): "Over the past few years, we’ve been actively developing our all-electric platform, and all of Li Auto’s upcoming pure-electric models will adopt the advanced 800V high-voltage architecture." Meanwhile, Great Wall Motor’s Tank Mech Dragon also leverages 800V charging technology, enabling drivers to gain up to 545 kilometers of range after just 15 minutes of charging. According to publicly available data, more than 20 automotive brands globally have either already introduced or are set to roll out vehicles featuring 800V systems. However, despite this growing momentum among automakers, the widespread adoption of 800V high-voltage fast-charging technology remains limited—currently, it’s still being tested on a small scale, with most implementations focused on premium and high-end vehicle models.

Industry insiders point out that 800V charging technology currently faces several major challenges: First, there are issues related to voltage boosting, such as dielectric strength and insulation design, as well as the high-frequency chopping problems introduced by SiC technology. Second, battery technology itself poses significant hurdles, as fast charging puts both safety and longevity of batteries under intense scrutiny. Third, effective charging management is crucial, given the dynamic changes in battery state during rapid charging—and the associated complexities in managing these changes. Additionally, the cost of implementing high-power, high-voltage fast-charging infrastructure remains relatively high. Li Xiang, founder of Li Auto, once noted that building 3,000 supercharging stations would require approximately RMB 10 billion, meaning the average construction cost per station exceeds 3 million yuan.
Previously, Tesla also stated that switching the charging systems of smaller vehicles like the Model 3 and Model Y (configuration | price inquiry) to 800V charging would result in excessively high costs. This charging method is better suited for larger vehicles—such as the Tesla Cybertruck pickup and the Semi Class 8 truck—which may eventually adopt 800V voltage. From the current trajectory of development, high-power fast charging is poised to become a growing trend. However, it will take time to fully validate this approach, as high-voltage fast charging currently comes with higher costs. The industry, therefore, needs a robust business model to strike the right balance between cost and performance. For automakers, proactively planning and implementing cutting-edge technologies for high-power fast charging is not only essential but also critical for staying ahead in the evolving automotive landscape.
In fact, in addition to deploying high-power fast-charging stations, battery swapping has also emerged as a viable solution to alleviate range anxiety for new-energy vehicles. Since 2021, the battery-swapping model has drawn widespread attention from various sectors—driven not only by supportive policies but also by growing investments from relevant companies eager to expand their battery-swapping businesses. Back in April 2021, China released the "Safety Requirements for Electric Vehicle Battery Swapping," filling a critical gap in industry standards and addressing the urgent need for a unified framework governing this innovative energy-replenishment approach. Shortly afterward, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the "Notice on Launching Pilot Projects for the Application of New-Energy Vehicle Battery-Swapping Models," officially kicking off the pilot program to test and promote this promising technology nationwide.
With strong policy support, the battery-swapping model for new energy vehicles is also attracting increasing attention. Given that high-power fast-charging stations are not yet widely available, the battery-swapping approach offers distinct advantages in terms of vehicle-use efficiency, refueling time, extended battery life, as well as ease of maintenance and management—and even helps reduce strain on the power grid. NIO, which has consistently pursued a battery-swapping strategy, officially launched its first batch of third-generation battery swap stations simultaneously on March 28. As of March 15, 2023, NIO had already deployed 1,322 battery swap stations across China, with cumulative swap operations surpassing 19 million times. Notably, NIO owners now enjoy an almost equal ratio of charging to swapping—approximately 1:1. Looking ahead to 2023, NIO plans to add another 1,000 battery swap stations nationwide.

Recently, CATL also announced that its "Chocolate Swap Battery" has entered mass production and will be rolled out to promote the battery-swapping model. Reportedly, CATL’s Chocolate Swap Battery can reportedly be replaced in as little as one minute, with each battery pack designed for individual swapping. Moreover, the batteries are modular, allowing users to replace just the depleted unit while keeping the rest intact, and each battery offers a range of up to 200 kilometers. Of course, widespread adoption of battery swapping still faces several challenges. With numerous global new-energy vehicle manufacturers entering the market, the lack of standardized protocols could lead to a proliferation of incompatible battery types and interfaces. Producing a wide variety of distinct battery models would inevitably drive up costs, making it less feasible for broader implementation. Therefore, establishing a unified battery-swapping standard will require leading companies like CATL and BYD to take the initiative, alongside collaborative efforts from automakers across the industry. Only through the mutual support and synergy between battery manufacturers and electric vehicle makers can we accelerate the widespread adoption of this innovative battery-swapping model.
The debate over whether future vehicles should rely on battery swapping or charging has always been a hot topic. In fact, whether it’s fast charging or battery swapping, the ultimate goal remains the same: to provide users with more convenient services, thereby alleviating range anxiety. However, both approaches still have several limitations. Currently, ultra-fast charging places high demands on batteries—take XPeng’s S4 supercharging technology as an example; only the top-spec XPeng G9 model supports it. Meanwhile, charging stations are limited in power output—if many vehicles are charging simultaneously, the available power inevitably drops, leading to longer charging times. This is precisely the issue that needs to be addressed. While battery-swapping services and experiences have already gained recognition, the inability of vehicles from different brands to use each other’s systems poses a significant challenge to companies’ profitability. Moreover, as the number of used batteries increases, cost pressures will only grow even higher.

Previously, Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association, once stated that private cars may not be the best starting point for promoting battery-swapping technology. According to his calculations, a single battery-swap station would need to serve at least around 340 vehicles to reach its break-even point—and if only private car users were relying on it, the path to profitability would likely be significantly prolonged. Of course, he also pointed out that the battery-swapping model does offer clear advantages in certain scenarios; however, the private-car market faces significant challenges in achieving robust growth in the short term, while long-term success will ultimately depend on breakthroughs in supercharging technology.
In summary, pursuing charging speeds as fast as refueling has always been one of the key goals within the new-energy industry. The emergence of high-power charging stations signifies that the gap in user experience between electric vehicles and gasoline-powered cars is narrowing further. Industry insiders believe that home charging stations, ultra-fast charging piles, and battery-swapping stations will become the three primary methods for replenishing energy in future electric vehicles. However, whether it’s battery swapping or charging, large-scale infrastructure deployment is essential to ensure that pure electric vehicles can deliver a convenience comparable to the quick refueling experience of traditional gasoline cars.

Translated from Sina Auto

Email:
info@adtfm.com

Phone:
021-20532053

Address:
2nd Floor, No. 150 Jindian Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai