Identifying and prioritizing key factors influencing electric vehicle fast-charging infrastructure planning in China: A Delphi study

The rapid expansion of China's new energy vehicle market has intensified demand for a coordinated, equitable fast-charging infrastructure system. Despite substantial growth, regional disparities, technical incompatibilities, and fragmented governance arrangements continue to constrain the efficiency and long-term sustainability of network deployment. This study systematically identifies and prioritizes the key determinants shaping the planning of fast-charging infrastructure in China. A two-round Delphi process was conducted with 30 experts drawn from government, industry, and academia to establish consensus on critical influencing factors. Anchored in diffusion of innovation and institutional theory, the analysis integrates technological, economic, spatial, social, environmental, and governance dimensions into a coherent evaluative framework. Six principal factors emerged: governance and institutional coordination; economic and financial viability; technological integration and standardization; social equity and user-oriented considerations; spatial and urban planning; and environmental sustainability. Governance and institutional coordination ranked highest in importance, with strong consensus among participants (Kendall's W = 0.696, p < 0.001). The findings underscore the central role of policy coherence, sustainable financial models, and interoperability in accelerating the diffusion of infrastructure and reducing regional inequality. The study advances a theoretically informed prioritization framework to support strategic infrastructure planning in rapidly electrifying economies.