The guideline came into effect Oct. 8 and will remain valid for the next five years.

According to the guideline, Shenzhen encourages the construction of parking lots and garages with a minimum of 20% dedicated spaces for charging EVs. For upcoming structures and public parking lots, 100% of the parking spaces must be equipped with charging facilities. Moreover, these spaces must be designed to ensure easy access to electricity supply connections. Newly built parking facilities are obliged to offer charging infrastructure, with each charging pole providing a minimum output power of 7 kilowatts.

The city also encourages the installation of fast-charging facilities in parking lots located at transportation hubs and parks. Gas stations under construction or in the planning phase are encouraged to be equipped with fast-charging facilities if conditions permit. Shenzhen also aims to establish ultra-fast charging stations to meet EV users’ increasing demand for fast recharging.

If conditions allow, expressway service areas are required to be fully equipped with charging facilities. Future service area parking lots must allocate a minimum of 20% of spaces for charging EVs.

The guideline stipulates that newly built or renovated charging stations and EV battery swapping stations should be registered with relevant authorities and obtain the necessary approvals for their operations.

In a bid to expedite the adoption of EV charging infrastructure, newly constructed public parking lots that intend to incorporate charging and battery swapping facilities are exempt from obtaining separate construction approvals.

In another development, Shenzhen is targeting the construction of over 150 public ultra-fast charging stations by the end of 2023, with the goal of doubling that count to 300 stations by March 2024, according to the two-year development plan on the construction of ultra-fast charging infrastructures for new energy vehicles recently released by the municipal development and reform commission.

Shenzhen seeks to establish itself as a “city of superchargers” by the end of 2024.