Highway Service Area Charging Piles Exceed 85,000 Units: Lawyer's Interpretation of New Energy Vehicle Owners' Rights and Charging Disputes
On August 13, 2026, at the Traffic and Energy Integration Innovation and Development Conference held in Wuhan, it was announced that China's highway service areas have built 85,400 charging infrastructure units (guns), covering over 98% of service areas nationwide. This figure marks leapfrog development in new energy travel infrastructure, yet the ensuing issues of charging service disputes, facility maintenance responsibilities, and consumer rights protection are increasingly becoming hotspots in legal practice. As a team of lawyers deeply rooted in Shenzhen, we dissect the boundaries of rights and responsibilities and risk responses behind this livelihood event from a legal perspective.
Legal Obligations Behind Charging Station Coverage: The Boundary of Responsibility for Service Area Operators
The popularization of charging piles at highway service areas first involves the legal obligations of the operators. According to Article 509 of the Civil Code, the parties shall fully perform their obligations as agreed. As a public service venue, the operator of a service area, when providing charging services, must bear corresponding safety guarantee obligations. If the charging piles are faulty, damaged, or fail to function properly, causing car owners to be unable to charge in a timely manner, the operator may constitute a breach of contract or tort.
In practice, the maintenance responsibility for charging piles is often overlooked. For example, in 2025, due to long-term lack of inspection of charging piles at a highway service area, multiple electric vehicles were stuck in queues for hours, and car owners had nowhere to file complaints. Lawyers remind that operators should establish a regular inspection mechanism and publicly display the repair hotline in a conspicuous location. According to Article 18 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law, business operators shall ensure that the goods or services they provide meet the requirements for the protection of personal and property safety. If charging facilities at highway service areas have safety hazards, such as electric leakage or short circuits, the operators shall bear corresponding liability.
Furthermore, although the layout and quantity of charging stations have been significantly improved, some extremely cold and high-altitude regions remain uncovered. Such geographical disparities may give rise to disputes over uneven service, but legally speaking, as long as the operator has fulfilled its duty of reasonable care and the failure to achieve full coverage is due to objective constraints, it generally does not constitute legal fault. Nevertheless, the operator should truthfully indicate the availability status on relevant platforms to avoid misleading consumers.
Consumer Rights in Charging Disputes: How Vehicle Owners Can Protect Their Rights According to Law
As the number of charging piles increases, charging disputes are also on the rise. Common issues include charging piles failing to start, charging speeds not meeting expectations, billing disputes, and non-refund of prepaid amounts. These disputes involve relevant provisions of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights and Interests and the Contract Book of the Civil Code.
Taking billing disputes as an example, some charging station operators have unilaterally increased the unit price of charging without clearly publishing the price, or charged additional service fees after charging is completed. Under Article 8 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law, consumers have the right to know the true information about the goods they purchase or use and the services they receive. If an operator fails to fulfill its obligation to clearly mark prices, vehicle owners may assert that their right to know has been infringed and demand a refund of the excess charges. Lawyers advise that vehicle owners should carefully read the billing rules on the charging app before charging and retain screenshots and payment records as evidence.
Another common issue is that charging piles are occupied for extended periods. Some fuel vehicles or electric vehicles that have already been fully charged occupy charging spaces for a long time, preventing other car owners from using them. Currently, many regions have enacted local regulations, such as Article 42 of the "Shenzhen Parking Lot Planning, Construction, and Motor Vehicle Parking Management Regulations," which explicitly stipulates that non-charging vehicles shall not occupy dedicated charging spaces. If car owners encounter such situations, they may file a complaint with the service area management or the traffic management department to request that the vehicle be moved. If additional expenses are incurred due to the inability to charge caused by the occupation, car owners may claim compensation for losses from the tortfeasor in accordance with Article 1165 of the Civil Code.
In legal practice, the key to handling such disputes lies in the preservation of evidence. Vehicle owners should take photos and videos of the scene, record the time, location, and charging pile number, and retain payment receipts. If negotiation fails, complaints may be filed with the 12315 platform or the local transportation authority, and litigation may be initiated if necessary.
Corporate Compliance in Charging Facility Construction: Legal Risks from Construction to Operation
The large-scale construction of charging facilities presents both opportunities and challenges for participating enterprises. From construction to operation, enterprises need to pay attention to multiple legal compliance requirements. First, the site selection and construction of charging piles must comply with regulations on urban and rural planning, fire safety, and other relevant provisions. According to Article 40 of the Urban and Rural Planning Law, a construction project planning permit is a prerequisite for construction. If an enterprise constructs without obtaining the permit, it may face administrative penalties.
Secondly, the operation of charging facilities involves data security and privacy protection. Charging apps typically collect data such as users' location, charging records, and payment information. Under Article 13 of the Personal Information Protection Law, processing personal information requires user consent and compliance with the principle of minimal necessity. If enterprises illegally collect or leak user data, they may face substantial fines or even criminal liability. Lawyers advise that enterprises should establish a data compliance system and conduct privacy impact assessments on a regular basis.
In addition, the power connection and electricity settlement of charging piles must comply with electricity regulatory provisions. Currently, some charging piles in service areas adopt direct power purchase or time-of-use electricity pricing, and enterprises must ensure transparency in electricity pricing policies to avoid disputes arising from price fraud. If a safety accident occurs at a charging pile, such as a fire, enterprises must also bear the primary responsibility for work safety in accordance with Article 4 of the Work Safety Law; otherwise, they may face administrative penalties or civil compensation.
For enterprises in Shenzhen, attention should also be paid to local regulations such as the Regulations on Green Finance in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, and exploration of green financial instruments to reduce financing costs. Meanwhile, as Shenzhen is a major hub for new energy vehicles, enterprises may participate in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) pilot programs, but should pay attention to the legality of relevant contract terms to avoid legal disputes arising from immature technology.
New Legal Topics in the Context of Transportation-Energy Integration: Vehicle-Grid Interaction and New Forms of Liability
The scale of aggregated resources for vehicle-grid interaction mentioned at this conference has exceeded 20 million kilowatts, with more than 8,000 bidirectional charging and swapping piles, indicating that the integration of transportation and energy is giving rise to new legal issues. Vehicle-grid interaction allows electric vehicles to discharge electricity back to the grid, and this model involves complex legal topics such as electricity trading, the nature of contracts, and liability allocation.
From a contract perspective, a power supply contract or service contract may be formed between the vehicle owner and the grid operator. If the vehicle is damaged due to a grid fault during the owner's discharging, liability attribution shall be determined in accordance with Article 577 of the Civil Code, under which the breaching party is liable for continued performance, compensation for losses, and other liabilities. However, if the grid fluctuation is caused by force majeure, such as extreme weather, liability may be partially or fully exempted. Lawyers advise that vehicle owners should carefully review the contract terms before participating in vehicle-to-grid interaction to clarify liability allocation and insurance arrangements.
Additionally, the settlement of electricity fees arising from vehicle-grid interaction involves tax and subsidy policies. Currently, the state provides certain subsidies to electric vehicles participating in peak regulation, but the standards vary by region. If enterprises fail to declare subsidies in accordance with regulations, they may face tax risks. Lawyers remind that relevant enterprises should consult professional legal advisors to ensure compliant operations.
Another emerging issue is the insurance liability for charging piles. As fixed facilities, charging piles typically have insurance coverage that includes property insurance and public liability insurance. If a vehicle is damaged due to a quality issue with the charging pile, the vehicle owner may claim compensation from the operator, who may then seek recovery from the insurance company. However, if the charging pile is damaged due to improper user operation, the liability may fall on the user. Therefore, operators should post operating instructions in the charging area and purchase sufficient insurance to mitigate risks.
Legal Insights and Attorney Advice: Preventing Risks from a Long-Term Perspective
The proliferation of charging piles at highway service areas is an important milestone for green travel, but legal risks cannot be ignored. For car owners, retaining evidence while charging and being familiar with rights-protection channels are basic literacy; for operating companies, compliant construction, data security, and liability insurance are the operational foundation; for regulatory authorities, it is necessary to improve the standard system and clarify the boundaries of responsibility.
Guangdong Zhiming Law Firm has long been monitoring legal developments in the new energy and transportation sectors, and has provided compliance review, contract drafting, and dispute resolution services to multiple charging facility operators. If you encounter issues such as charging disputes, facility construction compliance, or data security, you are welcome to consult our professional team. We will leverage our practical experience to help you mitigate risks and enjoy green mobility with ease.
