Since the start of the National Day holiday, many new energy vehicle (NEV) owners traveling by car have complained that queuing for charging at highway service areas remains the most painful part of the entire journey.
On the first day of the National Day holiday, it wasn't just the main highway lanes that were congested; long queues also formed in the refueling areas of various service stations. Whether at DC charging piles or battery swap stations, electric vehicles were everywhere, waiting in line to recharge.
Some pure EV owners complained on social media that charging was much more difficult than expected. They failed to charge at four consecutive service areas, with dozens of cars queued at each station's charging piles. After taking a number, one owner received number 169 and felt their good mood for the trip vanish instantly while standing in line. Other owners reported that during the holiday, many highway charging stations implemented temporary rules requiring all vehicles to leave once charged to 80%, with automatic flow control settings preventing further charging to full capacity.
Many pure electric vehicle (EV) owners who queued for one or two hours without getting a charge complained that out of 10 charging piles at highway service areas, 8 were occupied by hybrid or extended-range vehicles. Although these vehicles have fuel tanks and no range anxiety, many owners prefer using electricity over fuel and thus join the queue at highway charging stations. This further squeezes the already scarce charging resources, extending the waiting time for pure EV owners.
Many owners of extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) have also voiced different opinions. They stated that their vehicles' battery packs are much smaller than those of pure electric vehicles, so charging times are naturally shorter and they do not occupy charging spots for long periods. If they encounter long queues at highway charging stations during holidays, they can simply switch to fuel mode and drive home to charge nearby, rather than competing for charging spots on the highway.
According to travel data predictions from the National Smart Internet of Vehicles Platform, the peak highway charging demand for the entire National Day holiday arrived on October 1st, with the charging peak concentrated between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM. The next core period for nationwide return trips will be October 5th and 6th, during which the number of vehicles charging on highways will remain high. The charging peaks for these two days are expected from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM on October 5th, and from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM on October 6th.
Liu Hao, a veteran in the automotive industry, pointed out that to thoroughly resolve the pain point of holiday highway charging queues, the first step is to optimize the layout of energy replenishment infrastructure. Along popular highway routes with heavy traffic, the number of charging piles in service areas should be doubled. At the same time, public charging stations should be widely added in urban areas near highway entrances and exits to actively divert the concentrated charging pressure from highway sections.
Secondly, charging pile resources at highway service areas could implement dynamic zone management. Extended-range or hybrid vehicles could be guided to dedicated charging zones, or preferably directed off the highway to nearby urban areas for charging, as they do not suffer from range anxiety. Mainstream navigation apps could synchronize real-time information on queue lengths and waiting times at each service area, allowing owners to adjust their charging plans in advance. Popular service areas could also deploy mobile charging vehicles and temporary emergency charging piles ahead of time to serve as supplementary power sources during peak travel periods.
Many owners who have experienced charging queues expressed that once these optimization measures are implemented, they can significantly reduce range anxiety for long-distance NEV travel during holidays. This would prevent people from spending most of their self-driving trip time waiting in line to charge, ultimately bringing the long-distance travel experience of NEVs up to the convenience level of traditional fuel vehicles.