Shanghai(ZXZC)- Shanghai is ready to build 100,000 EV charging piles over the next three years as part of endeavors to promote the construction of the “new infrastructures”, a widely-discussed term expected to energize China’s economic development.

From 2020 to 2022, authorities of the megacity plans to invest roughly RMB270 billion in an array of key projects, including constructing 34,000 5G base stations, China's leading IoV (Internet of Vehicles)-enabled and smart roads powered by vehicle-road cooperative system as well as the aforementioned EV charging facilities, according to an action plan released by Shanghai Municipal Government on May 7.

(NIO's charging pile, photo source: NIO)

The action plan shows that Shanghai will strive to reach the world-class level in terms of the “new infrastructure” scale and innovation capability within three years.

Different from traditional infrastructures like highway, railway, bridge, tunnel and airport, the “new infrastructure” is a concept associated with technical innovation and based on information networks.

According to Wu Hao, head of the department of high-tech industry of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the “new infrastructures” mainly contain three aspects: information-based infrastructure such as 5G and the IoT (Internet of Things); converged infrastructure supported by the application of the internet, big data and artificial intelligence, such as intelligent transportation and smart energy infrastructure; and innovative infrastructure that supports scientific research, technology growth and product development.

Shanghai's action plan endows the concept with its local characteristics. Through the three-year efforts, the city intends to form important influence first on four fronts: developing Shanghai into a benchmark city with new-generation information infrastructures, making a global comprehensive infrastructure cluster of big science basically take shape; building an ultra-large urban public digital foundation with global influence; and establishing an blue-chip urban network of smart terminal facilities.

Shanghai has so far installed nearly 280,000 units of EV charging and battery swapping facilities. To further promote the charging equipment deployment, the government will push ahead with the construction of commercial-use charging piles and demonstration stations for new energy taxi charging, improve the platforms' service quality and further regulate the market order.