China's Spring Festival travel rush officially gets underway on Monday, with self-driving trips remaining the dominant mode of travel. Peak daily traffic on expressways is expected to reach 71 million vehicle trips, while the total number of new energy vehicle (NEV) trips nationwide is projected to hit 380 million.

Average daily NEV traffic on China's expressway network during this year's travel rush is expected to approach 9.5 million vehicle trips, according to the Ministry of Transport.

To ease charging pressure and improve travel efficiency, expressway service areas across the country are accelerating the construction and upgrading of charging facilities. So far, a total of 71,500 charging piles have been installed at expressway service areas nationwide, covering more than 98 percent of service areas. Of these, 20,000 were added in 2025.

Looking ahead, the National Energy Administration has announced plans to install 40,000 new and upgraded ultra-fast charging connectors with a power output of 60 kilowatts or higher at expressway service areas by the end of 2027, while encouraging the deployment of high-power fast-charging facilities.

Beyond expanding charging capacity, many regions are also improving service models. Traditional "car-to-charger" approaches are giving way to smarter, more flexible solutions that bring power directly to vehicles.

At some expressway service areas, mobile energy storage charging robots have been deployed to provide on-demand charging services. These "power-delivery-to-car" solutions are supported by a smart charging management platform jointly developed by local transport, emergency response and power supply authorities.

The platform monitors charger operations, forecasts peak demand and dynamically dispatches mobile charging equipment, enabling a shift from static to intelligent charging services.

In recent years, China's expressway service areas have also been undergoing broader transformations, expanding beyond their traditional roles as rest stops. Many are evolving into multifunctional hubs that integrate travel services, consumption and tourism.

At the "Sky Bridge" sightseeing service area in southwest China's Guizhou Province, visitors can access a viewing platform overlooking the Pingtang grand bridge, the world's tallest reinforced concrete bridge tower.

Leveraging the bridge's iconic engineering and landscape value, the service area has introduced leisure, sightseeing and science education facilities, marking a shift from a pass-through economy to a stay-and-spend model.