Power use surges in China's EV charging, data service sectors

中国电动汽车充电、数据服务业用电量大幅攀升

BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Electricity consumption by China's electric vehicle charging and internet data service sectors soared in July, highlighting robust demand from the country's fast-growing new-energy vehicle and digital industries, official data showed on Friday.

新华社北京8月21日电——周五的官方数据显示，7月份我国电动汽车充电和互联网数据服务行业的用电量飙升，凸显了我国新能源汽车和数字行业高速发展带来旺盛用电需求。

Power consumption by charging and battery-swapping services reached 16.4 billion kilowatt-hours in July, surging 50.3 percent year on year, while that of internet data services jumped 40.1 percent to 9.9 billion kilowatt-hours, according to the National Energy Administration.

国家能源局的数据显示，7月份充换电服务用电量达到164亿千瓦时，同比大涨50.3%，而互联网数据服务业用电量增至99亿千瓦时，同比增长40.1%。

China's total electricity consumption for July stood at 1.04 trillion kilowatt-hours, up 1.7 percent year on year.

中国7月份全社会用电量共计1.04万亿千瓦时，同比增长1.7%。

A closer look reveals that electricity consumption by the primary industry stood at 16.7 billion kilowatt-hours in July, down 2 percent year on year. Power use by the tertiary industry rose 4.8 percent to 218.3 billion kilowatt-hours, while electricity consumption by the secondary industry increased 3 percent to 611.6 billion kilowatt-hours last month.

细分数据可以发现，7月份第一产业用电量为167亿千瓦时，同比下降2%。上月，第三产业用电量2183亿千瓦时，同比增长4.8%，而第二产业用电量6116亿千瓦时，同比增长3%。

Notably, power consumption by high-tech and equipment manufacturing industries climbed 8.9 percent year on year to 122 billion kilowatt-hours in July.

值得注意的是，7月份高科技和装备制造业用电量同比增长8.9%，达到1220亿千瓦时。

Electricity consumption is widely seen as a barometer of economic activity, with shifts in power demand offering clues to changes in industrial structure and growth drivers.

用电量普遍被视作经济运行的晴雨表，用电需求的变化能够反映产业结构和经济增长动能的调整趋势。

Friday's data revealed that while overall power consumption grew at a moderate pace, electricity use in high-tech and equipment manufacturing expanded significantly faster, pointing to the growing role of advanced manufacturing in China's economy.

周五的数据显示，全社会用电量增速平缓，但高科技和装备制造业的用电量增速明显更快，体现了先进制造业在我国经济中的支柱作用持续增强。

The sharp increases in power use by EV charging and data services also underscored the emergence of new sources of demand associated with the green and digital transitions.

电动汽车充电和数据服务业用电量大幅增长，也印证了绿色和数字化转型催生了全新用电需求增长点。

In the first seven months of 2026, China's total electricity consumption rose 4.7 percent year on year to 6.14 trillion kilowatt-hours. Electricity use by charging and battery-swapping services surged 55.8 percent in this period, while that of internet data services increased by 43.3 percent.

2026年前7个月，中国全社会用电量同比增长4.7%，达到6.14万亿千瓦时。其中充换电服务的用电量激增55.8%，互联网数据服务业的用电量同比增长43.3%。