WUHAN -- Instead of boarding a high-speed train or catching a flight, Wu Yang plans to drive home this year, taking his newly purchased new energy vehicle (NEV) into the heart of China's annual Spring Festival travel surge.

Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, falls on Feb 17 this year. For decades, going home and spending time with family has been the festival's defining theme, fueling a 40-day travel rush that sees hundreds of millions of out-of-town workers hitting roads, railways and runways. Authorities expect a record 9.5 billion inter-regional trips this year.

For Wu, the journey stretches more than 1,200 kilometers from Shanghai in eastern China to his rural hometown in Central China's Hubei province. This journey costs slightly more than 1,000 yuan (about $144) when using an electric car, saving at least 1,300 yuan compared with buying train tickets for a family of four.

But the calculation is not just about the budget. Wu plans to pack the trunk with gifts and luggage that would be too cumbersome to drag onto public transport, while a vehicle-mounted fridge and car display screen will supply refreshment and entertainment, allowing the family to hold a karaoke party halfway.

"Driving home means traveling at our own pace and more time for the family to spend together," he said.

Such a trip used to be marred by anxiety. Wu remembers worrying about battery drain, the possibility of being stranded and a holiday stalled halfway home.

Today, with improving NEV technology and fast-expanding charging infrastructure in China, these concerns have taken a back seat, he said.

Wu's electric car can travel up to 600 kilometers on a full charge, while he has mapped out five charging stops in advance to pull into whenever the battery drops to around 30 percent.

Like Wu, a growing number of NEV owners are choosing to drive home during the Spring Festival travel rush. The Ministry of Transport has estimated that during this year's Spring Festival travel season, the total number of trips made with NEVs will reach an all-time high of 380 million.

China is rapidly shifting toward electric mobility. Official data showed that by the end of 2025, China's NEV fleet had reached 43.97 million. In 2025 alone, roughly 13 million NEVs were registered, making up almost half of all new car registrations in the country.

This dramatic rise in NEV adoption, especially in long-haul transportation, is driven by the rapid advancement of NEV technologies. According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, over the past five years, the average range of Chinese-made electric passenger vehicles has elevated to nearly 500 kilometers, while their average charging speed has improved more than threefold.

Xiaogan Huagong Gaoli Electronics Co., Ltd. has, meanwhile, shed light on how the ongoing tech boom has helped solve another headache for NEV drivers during winter travel -- heating.

The Hubei-based company produces PTC heaters that can warm up rapidly and protect batteries from performance loss in frigid weather. They have been installed in tens of millions of NEVs nationwide, accounting for nearly 70 percent of the domestic market.

"Traditional gasoline cars rely on heat generated by the engine to warm the cabin, but NEVs don't have that source. That's why we developed electricity-powered heaters suitable for NEVs," said Ren Qianqian, an assistant general manager of the company.

For long-distance NEV drivers, another assurance comes from the country's fast-expanding network of charging and battery swapping stations.

By December 2025, China's electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities had surpassed 20 million units, with charging stations installed in more than 98 percent of the country's service zones. Additionally, 19 provincial-level regions have achieved coverage of charging infrastructure in all townships. This expansion has established the world's largest EV charging network, capable of meeting the charging needs of over 40 million NEVs.

To further ensure reliable charging services during the Spring Festival travel rush, the Ministry of Transport said a list of high-traffic service areas along highways had been compiled. For each area, a tailored plan is being implemented, such as expanding charging spaces and adding high-power fast-charging stations.

The expansion of charging facilities into rural areas, which are relatively difficult to reach by train or air, not only explains the growing number of NEV drivers involved in the Spring Festival travel surge, but also adds steam to the tourism boom around this nine-day holiday period.

"Charging isn't really a concern anymore, even in rural areas," said Li Lei, a visitor from Central China's Henan province, who drove to the city of Shiyan in Hubei ahead of the Spring Festival holiday. "You can find charging stations almost everywhere, with some near tourist attractions, and others located outside hotels. It's very convenient."