electric car (Photo : Reuters)
A parking lot located in the eastern side of China Central Place in Beijing is now host to the country's first-ever solar-powered charging station. Built like a miniature version of Shanghai Expo's "China Pavilion," the charging station stands very distinctly from its surrounding buildings.
With its whole roof covered by solar photovoltaic panels, the structure is the first photovoltaic public charging station that uses a new type of solar technology and can convert 22 times better than other similar products in the market.
The station boasts of being able to charge seven electric vehicles utilizing only 24 hours worth of solar power, basically the energy collected within the day. Furthermore, in the absence of sufficient sunlight, the station can also collect energy from the national grid.
Motorists who already had the chance to use the charging station voiced out their approval as to its efficiency. Many claimed that the charging process was not only very fast but also very convenient.
Users of the charging station will only have to park their cars and use an app on their mobile phones to begin charging. Payment that is made using their mobile phones is processed right away. Users can also choose charging speeds, from 30 minutes to 3 hours, depending on their needs.
The solar charging station has forward and backward compatibility and can service almost all the major electric vehicles currently being sold in the market.
The soaring number of users of electrical or green vehicles dictates an increasing demand for these kinds of public charging stations. Officials said that plans to construct other charging stations are in the works and will be implemented in the coming months.
With over 400 photovoltaic companies, China is currently the world's leading power when it comes to solar energy.
