A public charging station in Hangzhou. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

As the construction of public charging facilities for new energy vehicles has been included as one of this year's key livelihood projects at both the provincial and municipal levels, Hangzhou plans to build over 3,000 public charging facilities (950 in rural areas) throughout the city this year.

According to the latest statistics from the Hangzhou municipal commission of urban planning and land resources, as of the end of March, Hangzhou had built 1,626 charging facilities, 54.2 percent of its annual goal.

So far, 40 charging stations in Hangzhou have been awarded star ratings, including three three-star stations, 10 two-star stations, and 27 one-star stations.

What separates the various star-rated stations? Take, for instance, the Tianhong Apartment Parking Lot Charging Station, which was just awarded a three-star rating.

The station is equipped with 128 fast-chargers, including eight ultra-fast guns with a maximum single-gun power of 180 kilowatts, as well as amenities such as a lounge, cafeteria, and car wash facilities, making it convenient for vehicle owners to charge their cars and rest.

In recent years, the number of NEVs in Hangzhou has been steadily increasing, reaching nearly 800,000. Hangzhou has built nearly 300,000 charging facilities of various types, including around 34,000 public charging facilities, leading domestic cities in terms of overall scale, public charging pile density, and coverage rate.

Some chargers. [Photo/WeChat account: hzchbao]