EV Charging Index 2025: Expert insights from China

By Ron Zheng and Jack Zhuang

China tops our EV Charging Index in 2025 with a strong performance across the board. EV sales are still growing, while public charging rollout continues apace, resulting in high satisfaction ratings among China's EV users.

EVs prove increasingly popular in China

China registered more than 11 million EV sales in 2024, up from 8.1 million in 2023 – almost 10 million more than any other market in our study. Meanwhile, the country's EV sales penetration rate rose from 36% to 49%, meaning every second new vehicle sold was an EV.

This positive trend looks set to continue: of the Chinese BEV owners we surveyed, 99% said they were considering a BEV for their next vehicle, well above the 87% global average. This reflects China's extensive policy support for electrification, a mature EV ecosystem led by domestic giants, and cultural enthusiasm for technology-driven mobility.

This is further reinforced by 81% saying they "love having a BEV and take an active interest in running and charging it" – higher than in other mature EV markets.

Home charging less prevalent in China

Public charging infrastructure just about kept pace with EV sales in China in 2024, recording 31% growth. The residential property mix, national charging policies and strong public charging provision by automakers mean Chinese EV drivers conduct less than half their charging at home (40% vs. 50% in Europe and 55% in North America).

Just over a third of respondents in China (34%) felt public charging had become more convenient in the last six months – a higher percentage than in other regions. This is driven by state-backed 'charge-while-you-park' policies and partnerships between automakers and grid operators. Fast-charging corridors along highways support intercity travel, aligning with China's dual-carbon goals​ to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and become carbon-neutral by 2060.

Satisfaction with charging experience is high

A massive 94% of Chinese survey respondents are either very or quite satisfied with the overall charging experience, including home and public charging – higher than other regions in our survey.

Key to this is a high proportion of fast-charging points. Government support remains strong in this area, and almost every second charging point in China is now DC (46%). As a result, less than 40% of BEV users in China were dissatisfied with the speed of public chargers, while a similar proportion thought infrastructure was insufficient – both percentages being lower than in other regions.

China also stands out for its particularly affordable EV charging rates. Just ​​20% of users​​ consider the prices too high (global average was 33%), while a large majority (​​75%​​) find them acceptable. Intense competition among operators, government price caps and off-peak discounts all help to keep costs low​.

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