(Yicai Global) July. 12 -- The number of charging piles for new energy vehicles in China nearly doubled during the first six months this year amid booming growth in the sector buoyed by government subsidies.

China is now home to 271,000 charging piles, data from China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance shows, up by 91 percent annually.

First-tier markets dominate the market with Beijing and Shanghai home to some 40,865 and 34,773 piles, respectively. Southern Guangdong province came in third with 33,586 units respectively, followed by Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang and Tianjin.

Vehicle charging capacity is mainly centered around the comparatively economically-developed areas of the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta and the central and western regions. Guangdong sits in first place with a cumulative charging power of 38.3 million kilowatt-hours followed by Jiangsu province (in the Yangtze River Delta) and central Shaanxi province.

Public and private charging facilities across various provinces and cities saw a stable increase in ownership in the first half of this year, while charging capacity has increased for three consecutive months and infrastructure for electric buses and taxies has been on a rise, said Liu Kai, director of information and certification at EVCIPA.

Editor: William Clegg