China’s electric bicycle fleet has exceeded 400 million units by 2025, driving soaring demand for charging infrastructure. However, challenges persist in facility deployment, economic efficiency, and management, forming a “safety-convenience-cost” dilemma.

Core Analysis

Infrastructure Gap and Distribution Imbalance: Beijing requires 1.66 million charging ports at a 1:3 vehicle-to-port ratio, with an 80.72% completion rate. Hangzhou deploys 1.04 million ports for 7 million vehicles (1:6.7), while Changsha has 200,000 ports for 1.89 million vehicles (1:9.5). Aging residential communities face heightened difficulties due to limited space, outdated electrical systems, and fragmented management.
Charging Cost Sensitivity and Operational Pressures: Price hikes in some residential areas, such as a brand increasing from 1 yuan for 6 hours to peak/off-peak pricing plus service fees, have triggered a resurgence in “fly-line charging.” Operators grapple with high costs including equipment investment, site rental, and maintenance, with service fees often exceeding electricity costs.
Technical Standards and Safety Concerns: New national standards mandate 3C certification for chargers and lithium batteries, yet low-power chargers (e.g., 144W) dominate the market, requiring over 4 hours for a full charge. Sodium-ion batteries excel in high-temperature environments, while solid-state batteries promise to eliminate fire risks upon cost reduction. Battery swap initiatives face hurdles from non-uniform specifications and complex approvals.
Policy Advances and Regulatory Actions: National policies mandate price transparency, separate billing for electricity and services, and direct grid power supply. Local governments in Jiangsu and Zhejiang offer subsidies for facility construction, though issues like electricity markup persist. Regulatory efforts, such as immersive inspections, have uncovered non-compliance in 34% of charging stations.
Consumer Behavior and Market Trends: 87% of users prefer electric bicycles, but charging time and costs influence decisions. Battery swap models gain traction in delivery sectors, with projects like China Tower’s swap stations and Kunshan’s citywide initiative. Smart chargers with remote monitoring and dynamic power adjustment now command 55% market share.
Future Outlook: The industry is shifting from scale expansion to quality enhancement, prioritizing intelligence, sustainability, and connectivity. Policy support, technological innovation (e.g., fast charging, wireless charging), and business model evolution (e.g., V2G, photovoltaic-storage integration) are poised to address existing pain points and foster sustainable growth.