English 
Spanish 
3 min read
0 comments
Imagine living in a country where charging your electric car is as simple as stopping on any corner. This is the scenario that China is building, and every month, the figures are even more impressive.
At the end of July 2024, the Asian country announced a surprising milestone: more than 10,6 million charging stations for electric vehicles are in operation. As reported by the National Energy Administration of China, these numbers represent growth of 53% compared to the previous year.
Of the total, 3,2 million are public payphones, while the others 7,4 million are private. The country isn't stopping there: ultra-fast charging stations are being installed on highways and rural areas, with plans to add another 3 charging points and 5 spaces on highways by the end of 2024, according to the National Development and Reform Commission ( NDRC).
China now has the largest charging service network in the world, an infrastructure capable of meeting the needs of more than 24 million electric vehicles that are already circulating throughout the country.
- New generation of the Hyundai Tucson: the national hybrid SUV that does up to 33 km/l arrives in Brazil with 252 hp of power
- Costing less than R$25 thousand reais, Jac J3 TURIN beats SIENA and VOYAGE with a range of 442 km and consolidates itself in the market in 2024
- Toyota revolutionizes with the Urban Cruiser: Toyota's NEW electric SUV with 184 hp and surprising autonomy
- Corolla will become a Toyota pickup truck! Corolla pickup truck 2025 is confirmed and will come to dethrone S10, Hilux, Toro and others
“The total charging and sharing power has exceeded 160 million kW, meeting the demands of our electric vehicles,” highlighted Zou Peng, executive secretary-general of the China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance (EVCIPA).
Brazil is still in its infancy in recharging infrastructure
While China is making great strides, Brazil still faces major challenges in expanding its charging network. Although the Brazilian Electric Vehicle Association (Abve) has estimated that the number of charging stations in the country should more than double by the end of 2025, reaching the mark of 10 thousand, the current panorama is challenging: only 4.600 charging points are in operation in August 2024.
This growth, although significant, still reflects the limitations of the Brazilian market. The concentration of charging stations in the South and Southeast regions — with almost 1/3 of them located in the State of São Paulo alone — reveals the disparity between the most developed areas and other regions of the country.
Around 70% of charging stations are concentrated in these two regions, which restricts access to electric vehicles to richer areas, as highlighted by Pedro Rodrigues, director and partner of the Brazilian Infrastructure Center (Cbie).
The infrastructure needed to support a significant increase in charging stations is a constant concern. Rodrigues explains that regions outside the South-Southeast axis lack energy transmission systems robust enough to support a greater number of charging stations.
“The cities in the Southeast and South have, for the most part, better infrastructure, but in the North and Northeast, the fragility of transmission systems is a major obstacle to expansion,” he stated.
Slowed expansion and challenges ahead
The expansion of infrastructure in Brazil is far from homogeneous. In February 2024, Raízen, a fuel distributor, and electric vehicle manufacturer BYD signed an agreement to install 600 new charging points in eight capitals across the country. This effort, although significant, still falls short of what is necessary to democratize access to electric vehicles in Brazil.
The high cost of electric vehicles also contributes to this inequality, limiting the market to economically stronger regions. With prices still unaffordable for the majority of the population, the expansion of charging stations becomes a risky bet in many areas of the country.
Given this scenario, the question remains: will Brazil be able to keep up with China's rapid pace in expanding electric vehicle infrastructure or will we continue to be at the tail end of global innovation?
