Public EV Charging Rates to Rise Regionally in 2026

On April 22, 2026, public EV charging stations across multiple regions in China adjusted their pricing, leading to higher charging costs for new energy vehicle (NEV) owners. Starting March 1, fixed time-of-use electricity tariffs for public chargers were abolished and replaced with dynamic, market-based pricing that fluctuates according to real-time electricity supply and demand. Additionally, some operators have raised their service fees, marking the end of the industry’s previous phase of low-price competition and a gradual return of service fees toward levels that reflect reasonable operating costs. Feedback from EV owners indicates that per-kilowatt-hour charging prices at the same station and during the same time period have increased by between RMB 0.04 and RMB 0.20, with notably sharper increases observed in regions such as Chongqing and Guangxi. The price adjustment is not uniformly applied nationwide—some stations have even slightly lowered their rates—resulting in overall price fluctuations that vary by region and time of day. The total cost of using public charging stations comprises two components: electricity charges and service fees. Rising expenses—including site rental, equipment maintenance, power infrastructure upgrades—and the phasing out of government subsidies have made it difficult for operators to sustain long-term low pricing, prompting a rational rebound in service fees. All three major national charging network operators stated that their pricing will be dynamically adjusted each month based on State Grid electricity rates and the actual operational costs of individual charging sites, with no uniform price cap imposed across platforms. In contrast, home chargers are billed under the residential tiered electricity tariff system, offering relatively stable and lower prices compared to public chargers. This growing price gap is encouraging more EV owners to consider installing home charging units. However, constrained electrical capacity in residential communities and limited installation resources mean that in some areas, homeowners must join waiting lists or enter lotteries to secure approval for home charger installations.