Shanghai as a Model: Research on the Journey of Transportation Electrification and Charging Infrastructure Development

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The scientific work submitted for review is a review on the topic of electrification of transport and the development of charging infrastructure in China, namely in Shanghai. The issues of sustainable development are among the most urgent today. In their work, the authors described in detail the existing infrastructure achievements, a complex system of usage indicators and the introduction of advanced technologies, and the charging system for electric vehicles in Shanghai. The current achievements were compared with the planned goals for the near future, forecasts for 2024, 2025 were made. It is worth noting that the authors have done a lot of work on: systematization of strategic decisions in the field of urban planning; definition of criteria for sustainable development; formation of a policy based on innovation; assessment of prospects for expanding the network of electric vehicle charging stations both in power and efficiency. There are no comments on the scientific and network content of the work. There are some suggestions/comments on the design and graphic materials: 1. For clarity of the image, I recommend using a single font format and its size in the figures. Figures 1-4, 6, 13, apparently made in Excel, are very different from the others, have a large size of data signatures and axes. 2. In Figures 12 and 15, the color of the lines and data signatures are incorrectly selected, they merge, sometimes they are not readable at all. 3. The figure on page 10 "Figure 5 Spatial Distribution of Charging Capacity" is incorrectly marked, rather it is Fig. 14. 4. Figure 10 has poor quality, the resolution should be increased. 5. Fig. 9, in my opinion, is not informative at all and only takes up space. The information that is depicted on it can be briefly fit into one sentence of text. Otherwise, the article is relevant, scientifically significant, and after eliminating minor comments, it can be accepted for publication.

Author Response

Thank you for your comments. Here is our response. In the manuscript, we marked these changes in yellow）.

Comment 1: For clarity of the image, I recommend using a single font format and its size in the figures. Figures 1-4, 6, 13, apparently made in Excel, are very different from the others, have a large size of data signatures and axes. 

Response 1: Thank you for drawing attention to the errors in the images. Figures 1-4, 6, and 13 have been corrected. The revised images now feature appropriate formatting and font sizes that are suitable for readability.

 

Comment 2: In Figures 12 and 15, the color of the lines and data signatures are incorrectly selected, they merge, sometimes they are not readable at all.

Response 2: I apologize for the issue with Figures 12 and 15; Figure 12 has been removed, and the line colors in Figure 15 have been changed to enhance clarity.

 

Comment 3: The figure on page 10 "Figure 5 Spatial Distribution of Charging Capacity" is incorrectly marked, rather it is Fig. 14. 

Response 3: Thank you for pointing out the errors in the figure number. "Figure 5 Spatial Distribution of Charging Capacity" has been corrected; it is now Figure 12.

 

Comment 4: Figure 10 has poor quality, the resolution should be increased. 

Response 4: I apologize for the poor clarity of Figure 10. Figure 10 has been redrawn and is now Figure 9. The image is clearer and more distinguishable.

 

Comment 5:  Fig. 9, in my opinion, is not informative at all and only takes up space. The information that is depicted on it can be briefly fit into one sentence of text. Otherwise, the article is relevant, scientifically significant, and after eliminating minor comments, it can be accepted for publication.

Response 5: Thank you for bringing the issue with Figure 9 to our attention. Figure 9 has been removed, and the information it contained has been expressed in a more appropriate sentence, making the article more accurate.

 

We appreciate your guidance and would be grateful for any further feedback you may have.

Looking forward to your response and hoping for the manuscript to advance to the next stage smoothly.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper presents an interesting study on the increase of electric vehicle charging stations. The study area was the City of Shanghai. Updated references are described, and comparisons are conducted with other countries in the world regarding the rate of charging stations and the number of electric vehicles. Most of the article describes information and presents tables from official sources regarding the distribution and growth of charging stations. Still, there is no methodology, application of algorithms or techniques to identify vulnerable areas that require more charging stations, for example, considering possible mobility information, distribution of workplaces, congestion points, etc. It should be analyzed if the article will focus on zones or areas of opportunity for charging stations or if it will describe historical information to highlight the contribution of the research work. 

References to the tables in the manuscript should be included. Similarly, with the Figures, it can be assumed that the paragraphs preceding them describe the corresponding explanation. However, it is crucial to make specific references.

Several references that were not found during the manuscript's compilation should be corrected on page 4, line 104, page 5, line 113, and page 16, line 411. Also, adjust the format of Figure 10.

Author Response

Thank you for your comments. Here is our response. In the manuscript, we marked these changes in green）.

Comment 1: This paper presents an interesting study on the increase of electric vehicle charging stations. The study area was the City of Shanghai. Updated references are described, and comparisons are conducted with other countries in the world regarding the rate of charging stations and the number of electric vehicles. Most of the article describes information and presents tables from official sources regarding the distribution and growth of charging stations. Still, there is no methodology, application of algorithms or techniques to identify vulnerable areas that require more charging stations, for example, considering possible mobility information, distribution of workplaces, congestion points, etc. It should be analyzed if the article will focus on zones or areas of opportunity for charging stations or if it will describe historical information to highlight the contribution of the research work. 

Response 1: Thank you for pointing out possible ambiguities in the paper. The paper primarily focuses on introducing the current state of charging infrastructure in Shanghai and examines the critical role of a series of measures taken by the city in promoting the development of this infrastructure. For instance, the adoption of co-construction and sharing models to enhance the utilization rate of charging facilities, and the implementation of commercial peak compensation to create conditions for vehicle-to-grid interaction. Therefore, by highlighting the approach Shanghai has taken to address the challenges of charging infrastructure, the paper demonstrates the contribution of the research work by providing guidance for other cities in their green and transportation construction efforts.

 

Comment 2: References to the tables in the manuscript should be included. Similarly, with the Figures, it can be assumed that the paragraphs preceding them describe the corresponding explanation. However, it is crucial to make specific references.

Response 2: Thank you for bringing the issue to our attention. We have added captions to Figures 1, 2, 9, and 10, corrected the display issues for Figures 5, 6, and 14 due to formatting errors, and included references in Table 1, Table 3, and Figure 2.

 

Comment 3: Several references that were not found during the manuscript's compilation should be corrected on page 4, line 104, page 5, line 113, and page 16, line 411. Also, adjust the format of Figure 10.

Response  3: Thank you for pointing out the issues with the citations in the paper. I have made corrections to the mislabeled areas (page 4, line 104, page 5, line 113, and page 16, line 411). The corrections have now been made to the annotations for Figures 5, 6, and 14. Figure 10 has been corrected and is now Figure 9. With these amendments, the article is more accurate.

I appreciate your guidance and would be grateful for any further feedback you may have.

Looking forward to your response and hoping for the manuscript to advance to the next stage smoothly.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper proposes 'Shanghai as a Model: The Journey of Transportation Electrification and Charging Infrastructure Development in China and Beyond.' My observations about the manuscript and its technical contributions are provided below.

1. Please select whether it is a review or research paper. And then rewrite the abstract to show novelties, findings, results, uses, and new research directions. 

2. I recommend incorporating citations into the captions of the figures and tables.

3. In Fig. 1, it seems that China observed a reduction in total EV in 2019 compared to 2018. Please discuss the reasons with proper references. 

4. Please correct Fig. 2. It seems that Shanghai‘s new energy vehicle penetration rate is increasing linearly; however, Shanghai's stock of new energy vehicles( Thousand) is almost constant for the years 2023 and 2025. Also, how is it predicted for the year 2025? Any prediction model is used? Please clarify.

5. Typos: Error! Reference source not found in lines 104, 113, and so on. Also, check the captions of all figures and unify them.

6. "China and Beyond" in the title does not reflect in the manuscript. The authors should discuss more about the rest of the world and rebuild the manuscript with new figures, data, and tables.

 

7. The authors should provide a table to supply a summary, strategic plans, numerical data, adaptation strategies, and so on for Shanghai Model. 
8. Fig. 12 has Chinize language. It appears that the authors neglected to revise their work before submission.

Author Response

Thank you for your comments. Here is our response. In the manuscript, we marked these changes in cyan）.

Comment 1: Please select whether it is a review or research paper. And then rewrite the abstract to show novelties, findings, results, uses, and new research directions. 

Response 1: This is a review paper. The paper primarily focuses on introducing the current state of charging infrastructure in Shanghai and examines the critical role of a series of measures taken by the city in promoting the development of this infrastructure. For instance, the adoption of co-construction and sharing models to enhance the utilization rate of charging facilities, and the implementation of commercial peak compensation to create conditions for vehicle-to-grid interaction. Therefore, by highlighting the approach Shanghai has taken to address the challenges of charging infrastructure, the paper demonstrates the contribution of the research work by providing guidance for other cities in their green and transportation construction efforts. The abstract has been rewritten, with each part of the content now expressed appropriately.

Comment 2: I recommend incorporating citations into the captions of the figures and tables.

Response  2: Applications have been added to the figures and tables, making the content of the article more organized.

Comment 3: In Fig. 1, it seems that China observed a reduction in total EV in 2019 compared to 2018. Please discuss the reasons with proper references. 

Response  3: We apologize for the mislabeling in Figure 1 that may have caused confusion. Figure 1 represents the sales of electric vehicles in different years, and it is normal for China's electric vehicle sales in 2018 to be higher than in 2019. The labeling in Figure 1 has now been corrected.

Comment 4: Please correct Fig. 2. It seems that Shanghai‘s new energy vehicle penetration rate is increasing linearly; however, Shanghai's stock of new energy vehicles( Thousand) is almost constant for the years 2023 and 2025. Also, how is it predicted for the year 2025? Any prediction model is used? Please clarify.

Response  4: Thank you for pointing out the error in the figures. The forecasted data for 2025 in Figure 2 has now been corrected to 1,500. This adjustment is supported by the statement from Ding Xiaohua, Deputy Director of the Shanghai New Energy Vehicle Public Data Collection and Monitoring Research Center, at the China International Battery Swap Mode Industry Conference, who estimated that by 2025, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in Shanghai's new car sales will reach 60%-70%, with the ownership of new energy vehicles exceeding 1.5 million. Additionally, Shanghai has introduced ted policies that, starting from 2023, PHEVs will no longer be eligible for new energy vehicle licenses, which will somewhat reduce the growth rate of new energy vehicle ownership.

Comment 5: Typos: Error! Reference source not found in lines 104, 113, and so on. Also, check the captions of all figures and unify them.

Response  5: These errors have been updated, and the labeling mistakes in the figures have been corrected.

Comment 6:"China and Beyond" in the title does not reflect in the manuscript. The authors should discuss more about the rest of the world and rebuild the manuscript with new figures, data, and tables.

Response  6:Thank you very much for pointing out the error in the title; the title has been corrected.

Comment 7:The authors should provide a table to supply a summary, strategic plans, numerical data, adaptation strategies, and so on for Shanghai Model. 

Response  7: A summary table and related explanations have been added at the end of the article.
Comment 8: Fig. 12 has Chinize language. It appears that the authors neglected to revise their work before submission.

Response  8: I apologize for the issue with Figure 12; it has now been removed, and there are no longer any image type errors in the article.

I appreciate your guidance and would be grateful for any further feedback you may have.

Looking forward to your response and hoping for the manuscript to advance to the next stage smoothly.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have made changes to the paper's content. As mentioned in Revision 1, the paper focuses on describing the progress of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The title has been changed to reflect that it is a research paper on collecting information on the distribution and growth of charging stations. The paper is ready to be published.

Author Response

Thanks a lot for the comments.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

It seems that the authors did not address the comments seriously. Few of them are listed below.

Comment 6:"China and Beyond" in the title does not reflect in the manuscript. The authors should discuss more about the rest of the world and rebuild the manuscript with new figures, data, and tables.

Response 6:Thank you very much for pointing out the error in the title; the title has been corrected.

Comment 7:The authors should provide a table to supply a summary, strategic plans, numerical data, adaptation strategies, and so on for Shanghai Model.

Response 7: A summary table and related explanations have been added at the end of the article.

Author Response

Dear reviewer,

Thank you so much for the professional comments. Based on these suggestions, we are glad to inform you of the additional updates we have made to address the gaps you pointed out.

In response to your feedback, we have now included a comprehensive discussion on the global context of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging infrastructure. The specific content, highlighted in pink as indicated in Section 1 of the Introduction, elaborates on the continuous growth of EV numbers in regions beyond the scope of our primary focus. Through Table 1 and Figure 1, we have illustrated the increase in EV registrations in certain areas, demonstrating the development of charging infrastructures worldwide. It is important to note that while these regions are advancing, none have an EV population comparable to that of Shanghai, making it a prime example of a city developing its charging infrastructure.

We deeply regret the lack of detail in our previous revisions and appreciate your patience. In the final section, now Section 2, we have added the requested content, also highlighted in pink. This addition includes a table outlining the policies related to EVs and charging infrastructure enacted by Shanghai, along with the corresponding times and departments responsible. This visual representation provides a clearer understanding of how policy makers in Shanghai are managing the development of EV infrastructure. Furthermore, we have included a discussion on the development of high-power charging stations and commercial demand projects, offering a more holistic view of Shanghai's adaptive development status.

These revisions are aimed at providing a more thorough and global perspective to our study, ensuring that our manuscript is not only regionally relevant but also contributes to the broader discourse on EV and charging infrastructure development.

We apologize for any inconvenience our previous oversights may have caused and thank you for your understanding and guidance. We are committed to ensuring that our research is as comprehensive and accurate as possible, and we are confident that these latest additions will significantly enhance the quality and relevance of our manuscript.

We look forward to your feedback and any further suggestions you may have.

Warm regards,

Cong Zhang

 

Section1

Over the past decade, Shanghai, as China's economic and technological hub, has been at the forefront of addressing its environmental challenges through innovative solutions [1]. Amidst its bustling urban landscape, one of the most pressing issues has been the deteriorating air quality, primarily due to emissions from traditional combustion engine vehicles [2-4]. In response, the city has aggressively pushed for the adoption of EVs, viewing them as a cornerstone in its strategy to create a more sustainable and eco-friendlier urban environment [5]. This initiative is closely tied to the development and accessibility of an efficient EV charging infrastructure, which is critical in supporting the transition towards electrification of transportation [6].

Globally, the electrification of transportation is progressing at a rapid pace. In Europe, nearly 3.2 million new EVs were registered in 2023, an increase of nearly 20% compared to 2022(Figure 1). Germany joined China and the United States as the third country to register over 500,000 battery EVs within a year, with battery EVs accounting for 18% of total car sales. In the United States, the total number of new EV registrations reached 1.4 million in 2023, marking an increase of over 40% compared to 2022[7]. As detailed in [8], a study has investigated the energy efficiency and current state of sustainable development of electric scooter-sharing systems in Polish cities. This research elucidates the roles of various stakeholders in the formulation of urban transportation strategies and underscores the significance of collaboration in advancing the sustainable development of electric scooter-sharing systems.

Table 1. EV registrations in selected countries and regions, 2023

Countries and regions	World	China	Europe	United States
2023 EV registrations (Million)	13.8	8.1	3.3	1.4
Countries and regions	Germany	France	United Kingdom	Netherlands
2023 EV registrations (Million)	0.69	0.46	0.455	0.205
Countries and regions	Sweden	Korea	Norway	Canada
2023 EV registrations (Thousand)	177.5	135	117.5	177.5

Figure 1. EV registrations and sales share in Europe, 2015-2023

Figure 2 delineates the trajectory of new energy vehicle (NEV) sales both within China and globally over recent years. Figure 3 shows the changes in the number and penetration rate of new energy vehicles in Shanghai in recent years, as well as the forecast for 2025 [9]. The data portrayed therein underscores a sustained and rapid expansion in the NEV market on a worldwide scale, with China emerging as the predominant contributor to these sales figures. Within the Chinese context, the city of Shanghai stands out as a significant epicenter of this burgeoning market, reflecting a parallel trend of growth in NEV adoption and sales.

The global proliferation of EV charging stations is accelerating, particularly in nations such as China, Japan, and South Korea, where government policies are significantly propelling the EV market forward. The Netherlands boasts the highest density of charging stations worldwide, with 19-20 charging stations per 100 kilometers. The United Kingdom has set an ambitious goal to achieve a ratio of three charging stations per 100 kilometers by 2030[10]. Research conducted in the Gornoslaw-Zaglibowo urban area in Poland indicates that, despite Poland's EV market being in its nascent stages compared to Western European countries, there are signs of gradual development in electric infrastructure [11]. A study on charging infrastructure in King County, Washington, reveals an uneven distribution of public EV charging stations, with a higher concentration in commercial areas and near major roads, aligning with utilitarian and capability-based theories of justice [12].\

 

Section2

Attached Table 1. Summary of charging

Time	Ownership Ratio	Number of New Energy Vehicles (thousand)	EV Charging Volume Ratio	Base Load (GW)	EV Charging Power Ratio (3.2kW)	EV Charging Power Ratio (7kW)	EV Charging Power Ratio (30kW)	Number of public charging stations（thousand）	Number of dedicated charging stations（thousand）
2018	4.7%	240	0.41%	25.0	0.3%	1.3%	2.9%	36	32
2019	5.9%	300	0.52%	25.0	0.4%	1.6%	3.5%	38	34
2020	8.3%	424	0.73%	25.0	0.5%	2.3%	4.9%	63	44
2021	13.3%	678	1.17%	25.0	0.8%	3.5%	7.6%	76	46
2022	18.6%	945	1.63%	25.0	1.1%	4.9%	10.5%	122	54
Future 1	50.0%	2545	4.40%	25.0	2.4%	10.4%	22.3%
Future 2	100.0%	5090	8.79%	25.0	2.6%	11.5%	24.7%

Attached Table 2. Summary of policy

Year	Policy Name	Publishing agency
2020	Interim Measures for Promoting the Intelligent and Orderly Development of Electric Vehicle Charging (Swapping) Facilities Interconnection	the municipal government and related departments
2021	Technical Requirements for Intelligent Charging and Interactive Response of Electric Vehicle Smart Charging Piles (DB31/T 1296-2021)	the Market Supervision Bureau
2022	Implementation Opinions on Further Promoting the Construction of Charging and Swapping Infrastructure in the City	the municipal government
2022	Implementation Plan for Peak Carbon in the Energy and Power Fields in Shanghai	the Development and Reform Commission
2022	14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Charging (Swapping) Facilities in Shanghai	the Municipal Transportation Commission
2023	Support Measures for the Development of Electric Vehicle Charging and Swapping Facilities in Shanghai Municipality	the Shanghai Municipal Development and Reform Commission
2024	Shanghai's Encouragement Measures for Purchasing and Using New Energy Vehicles	the Shanghai Municipal Government

 

Shanghai has implemented strategic measures to bolster the adoption of NEVs by expanding the network of high-power charging stations, prioritizing deployment in high-traffic and long-distance areas, and investing in ultra-fast charging technologies to reduce user downtime. In 2023, the city introduced significant policy changes, particularly for PHEVs, which are no longer eligible for NEV dedicated license plates, aligning with the city's goal to promote pure EVs. Additionally, Shanghai has updated the prerequisites for obtaining NEV license plate quotas, including continuous social insurance or personal income tax payments for individuals and specific requirements for corporate users, reflecting the city's efforts to adjust its policy framework to encourage NEV adoption and support environmental and industry growth.

Shanghai employs a "co-construction and sharing" model for EV charging infrastructure, with power grid companies building and various operators managing the facilities, enhancing utilization and reducing costs. In 2020, Shanghai required all new charging piles provided by vehicle manufacturers to have smart charging capabilities. In 2021, standards were established for intelligent AC charging piles and off-board charging equipment. In 2022, Shanghai launched a pilot for orderly EV charging, encouraging grid companies, municipal platforms, and charging firms to achieve smart charging through demand response, exploring vehicle-to-grid interaction. Shanghai has initiated a subsidy program for electric vehicle charging and swapping facilities in 2023, offering both base and performance-based support. Additionally, measures issued in 2024 are designed to stimulate the new energy vehicle market by providing financial incentives to buyers and outlining procedures for vehicle registration and subsidy allocation.

Shanghai has implemented peak-shaving demand response events with compensation standards to incentivize user-side participation in grid regulation, resulting in aggregated users, particularly electric vehicle charging and swapping resource aggregators, receiving higher average compensation prices. This strategy has successfully engaged 2.11 million kWh of non-residential response, accounting for 10% of the total, and has laid the groundwork for vehicle-to-grid interaction by releasing intelligent charging infrastructure standards and conducting continuous demand response activities, despite residential EVs showing significant gaps in aggregation scale and compensation compared to industrial and commercial users.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 3

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thanks for addressing the comments properly.