China plans to increase the number of electric vehicle charging stations particularly in residential areas to accelerate the production and sales of green cars, China's economic planner revealed on Monday according to China Daily.

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The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and three other central departments are planning to build more electric vehicle charging facilities in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, and other major cities along the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta.

According to the document released by the commission, electric power companies have been tapped to help accelerate the building of these charging stations.

As of June this year, China had about 81,000 charging stations, up by 65 percent from the end of 2015, according to the figures of the NDRC.

China is allegedly also planning to construct a nationwide charging station network that could cater to five million electric vehicles by the end of the decade.

Despite the strong government support and incentives given for electric cars in China, the country's electric vehicle industry was recently shaken by a scandal after at least 25 companies were found to have collected about 1 billion yuan ($120 million) in subsidies for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles they never made.

China's Ministry of Finance revoked the license of Suzhou Gemsea Coach Manufacturing, while four other firms including Cherry Wanda Guizhou Bus, King Long United Auto Industry, Shenzhen Wuzhoulong Motors, and Henan Shaolin Bus were ordered to return the subsidies and pay fines equal to 50 percent of the improper payments.

The ministry also accused 20 other automakers of wrongdoing, including Japan's Nissan, South Korea's Hyundai, Geely, Anhui Jianghuai Automobile (JAC Motors), and a unit of BYD.

TagsElectric Vehicles, PEV, plug-in hybrid vehicles, charging stations, Electric cars