No queues for tram charging during Spring Festival? The truth is more real than imagined

The 9-day Spring Festival holiday is gone.

I believe that many people have not recovered yet. A few days ago, they were eating hot dumplings and chatting with relatives in their hometowns, only to be packed into the return journey, moving slower than walking on the highway.

Some people said that the originally 7-hour drive ended up driving for 19 hours before leaving the province; someone posted a screenshot of the navigation, which was as red as blood, joking that they were not stuck in a traffic jam, but "camped" on the highway.

The 9-day Spring Festival holiday is gone.

I believe that many people have not recovered yet. A few days ago, they were eating hot dumplings and chatting with relatives in their hometowns, only to be packed into the return journey, moving slower than walking on the highway.

Some people said that the originally 7-hour drive ended up driving for 19 hours before leaving the province; someone posted a screenshot of the navigation, which was as red as blood, joking that they were not stuck in a traffic jam, but "camped" on the highway.

Among them, the most worrying thing is friends who drive new energy vehicles.

After all, a few years ago, driving a tram on the expressway during the Spring Festival would have been equivalent to "seeking death." The charging piles were either half broken or occupied by gas trucks. It was difficult to get in line. The charging speed was so slow that it could cost half of one's life. Many people were stuck in the middle of the road. The battery was not charged and the gas was not refilled. They could only call for rescue in the cold wind.

But this year is different. On February 24, the National Energy Administration released data. From the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month to the seventh day of the first lunar month, high-speed new energy vehicles were charged a total of 6.021 million times, with an average daily charging capacity of 16.64 million kWh, an increase of 52.01% over last year. It was an explosive growth.

What’s even more interesting is that more than half of the people are charging, but it’s rare to hear people complaining about “snatching piles” or “no piles”.

Someone asked, now that the penetration rate of new energy has exceeded 50%, do you really have no need to panic when driving a tram for long trips during holidays? Are those so-called "freedom of charging" really realized, or are they deceiving themselves?

Today I won’t be frivolous, but let’s talk about this matter with you based on the real experiences of people around me. There is no chicken soup, it is all truth. Whether you drive a tram or not, you will save a lot of detours after reading it.

You still have to line up when you should, but it’s really different.

Let me pour some cold water on everyone first: Don’t expect to be able to drive a tram on the highway during holidays without queuing at all. This is unrealistic.

Let’s do a simple calculation and you’ll understand.

Nowadays, on the highway, there is a service area almost every 40-50 kilometers. Generally, the service area will be equipped with about 20 120kW fast charging piles. Calculated based on the average power consumption of new energy vehicles of 20-25kWh/100km and the average high-speed speed of 80-90km/h, even if all charging piles operate at full power, a service area can only meet the charging needs of about 1,300-1,500 electric vehicles per hour.

But during the Spring Festival return peak, a new energy vehicle on a highway can easily exceed this number. Not to mention that there are unexpected situations such as varying charging speeds, occasional charging pile failures, and oil trucks occupying space. Queues are inevitable.

But have you noticed that the feeling of queuing this year is completely different from previous years?

In the past few years, waiting in line to charge while driving a tram was an "unknown ordeal." You don’t know how many cars are in front of you, whether the charging pile is broken or not, and whether you have to wait for 1 hour or 3 hours. That kind of anxiety is more torturous than the traffic jam itself. Some car owners even quarreled and started fighting in the service area in order to grab the pile. The scene was ugly for a time.

But this year, even if there is a queue, there is an air of "orderliness".

A friend of mine who drove a tram back to Beijing from Jiaxing, Zhejiang, said that this year, the charging area of ​​the high-speed service area was actually guided by dedicated personnel, and there was a sign saying "Queue up for charging, retake after passing the number", so there will no longer be cases of people jumping in line or grabbing piles. If the charging piles in the service area on this side are full, the staff will also guide everyone to the opposite service area to charge, so there is no need to make a wasted trip.

Behind this is the confidence of infrastructure and the progress of management.

Many people may not have noticed that the construction speed of high-speed charging piles in recent years has been ridiculously fast. Up to now, more than 70,000 charging piles have been built in high-speed service areas alone, and 20,000 new charging piles will be added in 2025 alone. Many of them are 160kW or even 480kW liquid-cooled supercharging piles, and the charging speed is more than twice as fast as before.

What's more important is that now you don't have to take a chance to check the status of the charging pile. The "e-Route Smooth" applet can display the usage status of charging piles in each service area in real time. Broken piles will be clearly marked, and it will be clear at a glance how many vacancies are left and how long it will take to wait. The variable information board in the service area will also update the charging queue information simultaneously, so you can make a judgment in advance without entering the service area.

In addition to infrastructure and management, the mentality of car owners has also changed.

In the past, everyone was afraid that they had not charged the battery and would not leave until it was charged to 100%, even if there was a long queue behind them. But this year is different. Many pure electric car owners take the initiative to hand over the charge after charging to 80%-90%, knowing that there are people waiting behind them. Most plug-in hybrid and extended-range car owners just "sip" when passing by, leaving high-power charging piles for pure electric car owners who need it more.

Some people may ask, isn’t queuing still queuing? What's the difference?

The difference is that the previous queuing was "unprepared internal friction", while the current queuing is "controllable waiting". You know how long you have to wait, you know that the charging pile is available, and you know that no one will cut in line. This certainty is enough to eliminate most of the anxiety.

And to be honest, not only are trams queuing up this year, but fuel vehicles also have to queue up for refueling. It usually takes just a few minutes to fill up the tank, but during the peak return season this year, queuing for more than half an hour is the norm. During meal time, there are queues everywhere in the service area, including restaurants, water closets, and toilets. This is not a problem with the trams, but a common problem during rush hour travel.

What's even more rare is that this year many service areas have adopted traffic restriction measures due to heavy traffic volume, but even so, it is rare for trams to break down because there is no place to charge. This was something that would have been unthinkable five years ago.

So, you have to queue up when you should, but this kind of queuing is no longer the "desperate queuing" before. Infrastructure is being improved, management is being upgraded, and car owners are understanding each other. This is the most tangible progress.

Why are some people charging without panic, while others are struggling to move even an inch?

Some people will definitely argue: What you said is an ideal situation. I was stuck in the service area to charge my car on my return trip this year and waited for more than two hours. How can I say this?

I don’t deny that no matter how perfect the infrastructure is, the problem of charging difficulties will still exist during the peak return journey during the Spring Festival. But the key point is that the reason why many people are stuck on charging lines is not because there are no charging stations, but because the idea is completely wrong.

A friend of mine returned to Beijing from Taizhou, Zhejiang during the Spring Festival this year, a journey of 1,200 kilometers. He originally planned to drive there in 12 hours, but he started from 8 a.m. on the sixth day of the lunar month and drove until 5 a.m. on the seventh day of the lunar month, a total of 19 hours. Among them, he spent more than three hours queuing in the service area to charge.

I asked him what was going on, and he said he didn't make any plans and just followed the navigation. When he saw the service area, he wanted to go in to charge. As a result, he had to queue up every time he went in. The queue became more urgent, the more urgent and chaotic it became, and in the end it took an extra 7 hours.

In fact, when driving a long distance by tram, especially on holidays, route planning is more important than anything else. Many people think that planning a route means setting a destination and just following the navigation. This is a big mistake.

On the same road, some people are so stuck that their emotions explode, while others get home smoothly. The difference is not in the car at all, but in whether they can plan and avoid pitfalls.

You think it’s because the trams don’t work, but it’s actually because you haven’t figured out how to travel during holidays.

Personal test is effective, the secret of charging the tram to avoid congestion on the return journey

Today I’m going to share with you the “Tracking Tips for Avoiding Charging” summarized by an experienced driver around me. I personally tested it and it’s effective. Next time I drive a tram on a long trip during the holidays, if I follow it, I can save half the time.

The first key point: starting at the wrong peak is better than anything else.

Many people think that starting in the middle of the night can avoid traffic jams. But this year, many "big smart people" think so. They start in the middle of the night and still get stuck in traffic jams on the highway. In fact, the real peak shift is not to start in the middle of the night, but to start around 5 o'clock in the morning.

Why is it 5 o'clock? Because after 7 o'clock, the number of cars on the highway will begin to increase. From 8 o'clock to 10 o'clock is the morning rush hour. There are many accidents and dense traffic, so it is easy to be blocked. And starting at 5 o'clock, there are few cars on the road and the traffic flow is fast, so we can drive more than 300 kilometers in one go before the morning rush hour.

Let’s take the return trip from Taizhou, Zhejiang to Beijing as an example. It’s a 1,200-kilometer journey, starting at 5 o’clock, and driving to Yancheng, Jiangsu in 3-4 hours at a speed of 80-90 kilometers per hour. The total distance is about 320 kilometers, which is exactly the cruising range of most new energy vehicles.

When you arrive at the Yancheng service area, if there is space, go in to charge and have breakfast; if there is no space, don't wait, rather get off the expressway into the city and find a breakfast shop that has been planned in advance. There are usually charging stations nearby, plug in the gun, and walk to eat the local Dongtai fish soup noodles and meat buns to fill your stomach and have almost full power. Kill two birds with one stone.

The second key point: avoid peak traffic during the day and do not leave the service area unless necessary.

From 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., it is the most congested time period on the expressway. Speedy cars and traffic accidents occur one after another on the road. The average speed can be below 50km/h. The service area will also experience peak charging and eating times, and the queuing time will increase significantly.

At this time, we must follow the principle of “do not leave the service area unless necessary”. Prepare water, bread, snacks, and thermos cups in the car in advance. If you can, don't enter the service area. Try to last until the next charging time, and then solve the problems of eating and going to the toilet together.

The third key point: adapt to circumstances and learn to avoid obstacles and detours.

The most taboo thing about highway traffic jams during holidays is "one road leading to darkness". If the navigation shows that a certain highway is severely congested, don't push it. You can switch to a less congested highway. Even if you go around 20 kilometers longer, it is better than being stuck in the same place.

If you switch to another expressway and it starts to get jammed not long after driving, then predict in advance, get off the expressway at the exit before the severely congested section, and take the national or provincial highway to avoid the jam. Many people think that taking national highways is slow, but this is not the case. When highways are blocked, national highways are smoother. Moreover, there is generally no need to queue at charging stations near national highways, and you can also eat local specialties.

After 9 p.m., the road conditions will improve significantly. Many car owners traveling with their families will choose to take a night's rest, and there will be much fewer cars on the road. At this time, you can speed up. The remaining 400 kilometers can be driven to Beijing in almost 4 hours. It should be noted that visibility is not good at night and many car owners use high beams irregularly. Be sure to slow down and pay attention to driving safety.

Some people may say that such planning is too troublesome. But you have to know that driving a tram for long distances during holidays saves you a lot of time and energy. Instead of worrying about being stuck in the service area, it is better to spend 10 minutes in advance to plan and make the entire trip smoother.

In fact, in the final analysis, the core difficulty in charging is not that there are no charging stations, but that everyone is crowded into charging at the same time and place. As long as you learn to stagger peaks, learn to plan, and learn to adapt to changes, you can avoid most troubles.

Technology is quietly rewriting the future of tram travel

At this point, someone may ask, since you still have to queue up for charging, is there a complete solution to the problem of recharging energy for new energy vehicles?

The answer is: not currently, but the industry has been working hard and has made many breakthroughs.

Many people complain that electric trains are not as convenient as gas trains to replenish energy. This is true. Today's new energy vehicles have long surpassed fuel vehicles in terms of power, intelligence, and comfort, but there is still a gap in terms of energy replenishment efficiency and convenience. This gap is also the core reason why many people are unwilling to buy trams.

But have you noticed that this gap is shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye. This Spring Festival, many friends who drive trams have the same feeling: replenishing energy is much more convenient than before, and the anxiety is much less. Behind this, technological progress is inseparable.

At present, the industry has three main routes to solve the problem of energy replenishment. Each of them is slowly being implemented, and each has its own advantages. There is no good or bad distinction. The core is to make car owners less queued and less anxious.

The first and most unique route - battery replacement.

Many people's impression of battery swapping is still "niche" and "inconvenient", but during the Spring Festival this year, the battery swapping mode has become completely popular. Since the second day of the Lunar New Year, the total amount of battery swaps at NIO's battery swap station has hit a record high for five consecutive days, with the highest number of battery swaps in a single day exceeding 170,000 times. The battery swap station in the Xianrenshan service area of ​​the Hurong Expressway in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, swapped out 193 batteries in one day, completing a battery swap on average less than every 4 minutes, which is faster than refueling.

As of February this year, NIO has built more than 3,700 battery swap stations across the country, of which more than 1,000 are high-speed battery swap stations. It has basically opened up major high-speed trunk lines. There is an battery swap station every 180 kilometers on average. Driving an electric car on the highway does not require charging. Just change a battery and you can continue.

In addition to NIO, CATL is also laying out a battery swap system. As of the beginning of this year, 1,325 battery swap stations have been completed, serving not only passenger cars but also commercial vehicles. More models will join this battery swap system in the future.

The advantages of battery swapping are obvious: it’s fast and convenient, and you don’t have to wait in line for charging, which is especially suitable for peak holidays. Moreover, the operation of battery swapping stations is becoming more and more mature. You can make a reservation through the APP in advance and you can swap it when you arrive without wasting time.

The second, more technical route - megawatt flash charging.

If battery swapping is about “changing the battery and going”, then megawatt flash charging is about “quickly filling up the battery”. On February 24 this year, BYD officially launched the large-scale implementation of the megawatt flash charging system. The peak output power of this charging pile can reach 1360kW. With a special battery, it can replenish 400 kilometers of pure electric range in 5 minutes. The charging time from 10% to 80% only takes 12 minutes. It truly achieves "charging faster than refueling."

Some people may ask, can the power grid withstand such high power? Don’t worry, this kind of charging pile will be equipped with an energy storage system. A single cabinet can store 225kWh of energy, which can cut peaks and fill valleys, and stabilize the output. It does not rely on power grid transformation and can also ensure the stability of charging.

At present, more than 500 megawatt flash charging stations have been built across the country, covering more than 200 core cities. According to the plan, 4,000 self-built stations will be built this year, and 15,000 flash charging piles will be built in conjunction with industry partners. In the future, when driving an electric car on the highway, even if you queue up, you can quickly charge without waiting for a long time.

The third route is currently the best experience - extended range with large battery.

For many people who want to save money on electricity without having to worry about charging, extended-range models with large batteries are undoubtedly the safest choice. Take the Zhiji LS6 extended-range version launched in September last year as an example. It is equipped with a large 66kWh battery and has a pure electric range of 450 kilometers. It only needs to be charged once a week for daily commuting, and basically does not use oil.

And its fast charging speed is not slow either. It can replenish 310 kilometers of battery life in 15 minutes, which is on par with mainstream pure electric models. Even if you run a long distance and lose power, the fuel consumption per 100 kilometers is only about 5L, and the comprehensive range can reach more than 1,500 kilometers. There is no need to queue up at the service area to recharge and refuel, and you can reach your destination in one go.

During the Spring Festival this year, many friends who drive extended-range cars said that driving on the highway is too worry-free - use electricity first when going out, which saves money and is quiet. When the battery is almost out, use gas without any anxiety. No matter how crowded the charging piles in the service area are, it has nothing to do with you.

Some people may ask, which of these three routes is the best? In fact, there is no best, only what suits you best.

For those who often run at high speeds and pursue ultimate efficiency, battery swapping and megawatt flash charging are more suitable; for those who usually commute in the city and occasionally run long distances, a large battery is more reliable for extended range. But no matter which route it is, the core is to solve the energy replenishment anxiety of car owners and make driving a tram for long distances as convenient as driving a gasoline car.

Some people may complain that no matter how fast technology advances, it cannot keep up with the traffic volume during holidays. But you have to know that no change happens overnight. From the "war for charging piles" a few years ago to the orderly one now; from charging a few hours to a few minutes or ten minutes now; from not being able to find charging piles everywhere to now covering all highways and urban areas, this progress has been witnessed by all of us.

write at the end

Finally, to be honest, the congestion on the way back from the Spring Festival is just an episode after the reunion;

The small trouble of recharging energy for trams is a small test on the road to technological progress.

We complain about congestion and charging queues, but we can also see that infrastructure is getting better, technology is advancing, and everyone's travel experience is also improving little by little.

There is no need to rush for perfection, and no need to be overly anxious.

It is the greatest luck to be able to return to work safely and start the new year smoothly.

Give the industry some time, and give ourselves some patience.

In the future, traveling by train will only become more and more worry-free.