Are new energy vehicles encountering -charging assassins– Reporters visit Guangdong on the spot
In recent years, the rapid growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market has spurred the swift expansion of the charging station industry. However, issues like opaque pricing and inadequate service are increasingly troubling many EV owners. Recently, some charging stations have been humorously dubbed “charging assassins” due to their service fees and parking fees exceeding the cost of electricity itself, with reports of drivers encountering exorbitant fees up to 384 yuan per hour for overstaying. To shed light on the situation, we took a closer look at the charging fee landscape in Guangdong.
**Convenient Charging Services in Guangdong**
The charging station market in Guangdong has seen significant growth. From January to September this year, the number of public charging stations increased by over 70,000, accounting for 19% of the national total. This means one out of every five charging stations in the country is located in Guangdong. Despite this rapid expansion, concerns regarding pricing transparency and service reliability have come to the forefront. A recent survey revealed that most residents find the charging facilities and parking services in Guangdong to be relatively convenient, indicating that the market is meeting basic needs to some extent.
On October 23, we visited a charging station on Guangyuan Expressway in the Tianhe District of Guangzhou, where ride-hailing driver Mr. Liu was charging his EV. “In Guangzhou, there’s a noticeable difference in charging prices between day and night. During the day, the cost ranges from 1 to 1.4 yuan per kilowatt-hour, while at night it drops to between 0.5 and 0.8 yuan. Charging at home only costs 0.2 yuan per kilowatt-hour, which is much cheaper than the hundreds of yuan required to fill up a gas tank. In many places like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Dongguan, parking is free for the first two hours at charging stations, and charging apps display parking costs. I was particularly impressed by a charging station in Zhuhai that offers 20 hours of free parking,” Mr. Liu shared.
**Parking Concerns Persist**
While many residents expressed that charging facilities in Guangzhou are quite accessible—especially with the significant reduction in nighttime electricity rates—parking fees remain a pressing issue for many car owners. “I live in an apartment in Tianhe, and the nearby charging stations are located in commercial areas or busy streets with parking costs skyrocketing to as much as 16 yuan per hour. For EV owners who need to charge frequently, that adds up quickly. That’s why I opt to charge in Haizhu District, where I don’t have to pay for parking, and the electricity costs only 1 yuan,” said Mr. Cao.
In Haizhu District’s Xinjiao Middle Road, we discovered a charging station equipped with about 50 fast chargers, with roughly 30 of them available during off-peak hours. However, popular stations can experience long wait times at night. One EV owner noted on a forum that charging stations near Zhujiang New Town and the Tianhe Sports Center often have wait times exceeding 20 minutes during peak evening hours. Additionally, some drivers have been using charging stations—particularly slow chargers—as parking spaces, further complicating the situation.
**Calls for Stricter Regulation**
“The operational costs for building and maintaining charging stations are high, and relying solely on electricity prices isn’t sustainable. Some companies lure users with low electricity prices and make up for it through other fees. The competitive landscape combined with insufficient regulation has led to the emergence of these ‘charging assassins.’ However, despite these challenges, cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen are still witnessing rapid growth in the charging station market, which suggests that the services are increasingly meeting the public’s basic needs,” commented Xiang Ligang, chairman of the ZGC Information Consumption Alliance.
The issue of refund difficulties remains a significant concern, with some companies establishing hurdles for refunds or outright refusing them, compromising consumer rights. Notably, in Liuzhou, Guangxi, an operator of an EV charging station reportedly absconded with over 500,000 yuan in pre-paid funds from car owners.
Experts suggest that enhanced regulation and clearer guidelines for charging station companies are necessary. Chen Yijiang, deputy secretary-general of the Consumer Rights Protection Law Research Association of the China Legal Society, stated that charging station operators must ensure pricing transparency and refrain from charging undisclosed fees. Additionally, he urged the government to increase policy support for the development of complementary infrastructure like charging stations and to establish relevant standards and systems to address these issues at their source. Only through these measures can a truly competitive and orderly charging station market be fostered while safeguarding consumer rights.