Shanghai (ZXZC)- Chinese megacity Shanghai aims to build a charging network that is able to satisfy the charging demands for over 1.25 million electric vehicles (EVs) by 2025, and the ratio of EVs to charging poles will be no more than 2:1 by that moment, according to a document Shanghai municipal government issued on Feb. 24.

All-new Roewe Ei5; photo credit: Roewe

The document says Shanghai will regard charging piles as the main power supply infrastructure and the battery swapping tools an accessory in the future. The battery swap model will be mainly used in the taxi sector, while the charging facilities will be primarily deployed as privately-owned and dedicated piles.

To achieve the target, Shanghai's authorities will draw up special planning for the development of EV charging and battery swapping facilities, based on the city's parking spot layout, the aim of the digital transition for the transport sector, and the charging and battery swap demands from such key areas as residential areas, public service organization, and special vehicles.

By the end of 2021, Shanghai had owned over 620,000 new energy vehicles (NEVs) running on roads, ranking highest among cities in China, according to the data publicly disclosed. The total number of charging piles deployed in the city had topped 500,000 units as of Dec. 2021, resulting in a ratio of EVs to charging piles of around 1.3:1.