Intensifying Price War in EV Chargers Squeezes Smaller Operators, Sparking Industry Shakeout and New Opportunities

As the adoption of new energy vehicles accelerates, the EV charging infrastructure sector has plunged into a fierce price war. A small-to-medium investor who built eight 120kW fast chargers saw his daily charging volume plummet from 3,000 kWh to just 800 kWh after a nearby 480kW ultra-fast charging station opened with aggressively low service fees—down to RMB 0.2 per kWh—resulting in monthly losses of tens of thousands of yuan. By early 2026, China had over 4.7 million public charging points nationwide, yet average utilization rates hovered around only 30%. Oversupply is further exacerbated by technological disparities: ultra-fast chargers achieve 3–4 times higher turnover rates than older models, operate at lower costs, and offer stronger pricing advantages. Leading companies are expanding revenue streams through integrated “solar-storage-charging” systems and participation in grid dispatch services, while smaller players struggle with equipment depreciation and high operating costs. Experts advise individual investors to abandon the “build-and-operate independently” model and instead consider joining established platform networks, focusing on high-barrier segments like heavy-duty truck battery swapping, or offering specialized services such as operations and maintenance or charging scheduling to seize new opportunities amid industry consolidation.