Tracing the Origins of "Shuttle Charging Stations": From Concept to Implementation, Autochain Leads by a Decade

(Source: Autel Sun)

The “Shuttle Charging Station” is becoming a popular concept in the new energy charging infrastructure sector. The core of this model is to make charging stations resemble traditional gas stations—smooth flow, quick stop and charge, safe and reliable, ultra-fast energy replenishment, and efficient circulation.

As early as the initial exploration in the industry, Autel Sun clearly proposed the concept of “building charging stations like gas stations” in 2016. They led the development of technology and implemented pilot sites, with a long-term vision and solid technology, becoming a true pioneer in this field.

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Pioneering Path:

First proposed the gas station-style charging concept 10 years ago

Autel Sun’s exploration of gas station-style charging began with deep insights into the pain points of charging infrastructure.

At the end of 2014, Autel Sun independently developed a leading product—the Matrix Flexible Charging Stack. With innovative technology, it broke the physical limitations of “one plug, one gun,” creating a megawatt-level dynamic shared power pool that can simultaneously provide on-demand charging for multiple vehicles and supports seamless upgrades and expansion.

In 2015, Autel Sun’s Matrix Flexible Charging Stack technology received an invention patent and was certified as a “domestically pioneering technology with a blank slate in China,” establishing a solid technical foundation. The same year, the world’s first megawatt-level flexible charging demonstration station was launched at Autel Sun Power Building and began trial operation. Subsequently, they introduced an intensive flexible public charging model—allowing charging stations to be reasonably distributed throughout cities like gas stations.

In 2016, at the China International New Energy Vehicles and Smart Transportation Exhibition and Summit Forum, Autel Sun explicitly proposed the core idea of “building charging stations like gas stations” and outlined a clear station construction plan: to build intensive flexible public charging stations based on megawatt-level flexible charging stacks near gas stations at a 1:1 ratio, adopting a gas station-style layout. These stations would be spread across cities, forming a charging network that would bring about a series of new changes: low investment costs, minimal land use, high safety, and high utilization of electrical resources. This series of ideas has been consistently implemented in Autel Sun’s practice of building an intensive flexible public charging network.

From concept to technology and then to demonstration, Autel Sun has laid the foundation from zero to one, being the earliest company to propose and implement the “gas station-style charging” concept.

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Model Innovation: Gas Station-Style Charging

Achieving true safety, efficiency, speed, and smoothness

Autel Sun’s gas station-style charging stations are designed from real user scenarios, reconstructing the charging experience:

1. Smooth flow: instant stop and charge, safe and efficient

Vehicles park in a forward manner, go straight in and out without reversing or turning around, charge and leave immediately, allowing seamless continuation for following vehicles. This greatly improves station circulation efficiency, fundamentally solving safety hazards like queuing, congestion, vehicle moving, and scratches, making charging as safe, efficient, and convenient as refueling.

2. Ultra-fast energy replenishment: liquid-cooled ultra-fast charging, continuous high power output

Equipped with Autel Sun’s liquid-cooled high-power charging terminals, capable of sustained high power output without dropping voltage or power, enabling rapid energy replenishment in a short time, never interrupted, and quickly fully charged.

3. Intensive flexibility: significantly improved utilization

Relying on self-developed megawatt-level flexible charging stack systems, enabling megawatt-level power sharing and dynamic allocation based on demand, supporting multiple vehicles simultaneously fast charging, ultra-fast charging, quick charging, and slow charging. Under the same site and power capacity, service capacity far exceeds traditional charging stations, with leading investment efficiency, land utilization, and operational benefits.

4. Future-oriented: expandable integrated solar, storage, and charging

The station supports photovoltaic, energy storage, and charging integration, achieving green power supply, peak shaving and valley filling, intelligent dispatching, with multiple benefits including low carbon, economy, and safety, fully compatible with next-generation energy station models.

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Benchmark Stations: Proof of Strength and Vision

Autel Sun has transformed the “gas station-style charging” from concept into a nationwide intensive flexible public charging network. Here are two representative benchmark stations:

“First City Core Area Gas Station-Style Public Charging Station in China”

Shenzhen Chanmang Road Moon Bay Avenue

Intensive Flexible Public Charging Station

This station is a highly representative example of an intensive flexible public charging station in Shenzhen Qianhai District, and the first in the country designed entirely according to the efficient circulation concept of gas stations:

• Forward parking, instant charging, immediate departure, no reversing

• Equipped with multiple high-power flexible charging stacks and 600kW liquid-cooled high-power charging terminals

• Large shared power pool, capable of meeting the fast-charging needs of many vehicles simultaneously

• High turnover, high efficiency, high reliability, serving as a demonstration model for urban core area charging

“Beijing’s First Gas Station-Style Designed Charging Station”

Beijing Nanhaozhuang Intensive Flexible Public Charging Station

This station is Beijing Changping District’s first supercharging station, precisely filling the charging gap along regional highways and tourism scenarios, providing solid and reliable energy replenishment:

• 2000㎡ flagship scale, with standardized gas station layout in the ultra-fast charging area, offering a highly uniform experience

• Equipped with lounges and supporting services to enhance user experience

• Future plans include installing photovoltaic canopies to create a smart energy station integrating solar, storage, and charging

• Establishing a replicable and promotable benchmark model for highway and urban charging stations across the capital and nationwide

In addition, Autel Sun’s gas station-style charging stations are operating stably across many locations nationwide:

Shenzhen Lihu Garden Intensive Flexible Public Charging Station

Ulanqab Fengzhen City Aofeng Intensive Flexible Public Charging Station

Foshan Nanhai Light Textile City Qiaojin Road Intensive Flexible Public Charging Station

Huizhou Emerald Industrial Park Intensive Flexible Public Charging Station

Guangzhou Baiyun District Shanghua Road Intensive Flexible Public Charging Station

Zhengzhou Airport Economic Zone Yufa Duyun City Intensive Flexible Public Charging Station

Taiyuan Yingze District Songzhuang Intensive Flexible Public Charging Station

…

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Intensive Flexible Public Charging Network:

Market Proven Over Ten Years, 1kVA Serves 11 Vehicles

Autel Sun has invested in, built, and operated over 150 intensive flexible public charging stations nationwide, with a total installed capacity exceeding 300 MW. Many stations use flexible charging stack technology and are designed with a gas station layout, operating safely for over 10 years. Based on 10 hours of full-power operation daily, the entire network can serve up to 300,000 vehicles, with an average of only 1kVA of power resource per vehicle.

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Leading Demonstration:

Providing a New Model for Energy Replenishment in the New Energy Era

From proposing “building charging stations like gas stations” in 2016 to over 150 stations forming a charging network nationwide by 2026, Autel Sun has validated its technical route with real operational data, demonstrated the scalability of the network for business viability, and promoted industry standards with extensive experience.

With the advent of ultra-fast charging, shuttle (gas station-style) charging stations are accelerating to become industry standard, and Autel Sun has already been at the forefront of this transformation.

Through technology, practice, and time, Autel Sun demonstrates true foresight and responsibility. In the future, Autel Sun will continue to innovate technologically and implement scenarios, allowing more drivers to enjoy simple, efficient, and fast charging experiences like refueling, helping China’s new energy replenishment industry move toward a more efficient, intelligent, and green new era.