Tai'an expands EV charging network to support green travel

Tai'an in East China's Shandong is rapidly expanding its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to support green travel. By the end of August, the city had built 9,832 public charging piles, up 24 percent year-on-year, with cumulative charging volume exceeding 500 million kilowatt hours.

The city has issued a plan to double its charging service capacity, pushing the total number of charging facilities past 58,000 — a 48 percent increase. With 104,700 new energy vehicles on the road, the vehicle-to-charger ratio has improved to 1.81:1, making charging more convenient for drivers.

The green transformation is also extending to freight transport. A highway freight hub charging station in Tai'an has begun operations as one of Shandong province's first high-power charging and battery-swapping demonstration stations for electric heavy-duty trucks on national and provincial roads.

The station is equipped with 10 liquid-cooled high-power chargers, each capable of delivering up to 800 kW of power. By the end of August, Tai'an had 90 electric heavy-duty truck charging and swapping stations in operation, including five provincial-level demonstration stations.

Charging piles have also reached the Yellow River floodplain. In Banjiudian town, Dongping county, charging stations now cover five townships along the Yellow River, forming a comprehensive charging network around Dongping Lake that serves about 59,500 vehicle trips annually.

In scenic areas such as Taishan Mountain, Dai Temple, and Tianyi Lake, over 100 DC fast-charging facilities have been installed, supporting green travel and cultural tourism. The city has also launched a pilot program for the unified construction and operation of charging facilities in residential communities, with 22 such communities and 102 charging piles now in operation.

A charging station in Tai'an, part of the city's rapidly expanding network supporting green travel. [Photo/Dazhong News]