Trials of charging stations for electric vehicles located along the Shanghai-Beijing expressway began on Jan. 10, Saturday.
Five electric cars traveled from Shanghai to Beijing as part of a joint project involving the Chinese government's State Grid Corporation, BAIC Motor Corp, BYD Co., Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Co., and Shenzhen BYD-Daimler New Technology Co.
According to the State Grid body, the world's largest state-owned electric utilities company, the charging stations are positioned at 50-kilometer intervals along the left and right sides of the expressway, which is 1,262 kilometers long.
Through the trial, state officials are seeking to convince Chinese consumers that the charging facilities cannot only provide sufficient energy for travel throughout the urban region, but also for travel beyond the city limits.
According to the State Grid Corp., 150 kilometers to 200 kilometers is available to the drivers of electric cars after each charge. Based on this data, a car journey from Shanghai to Beijing could be completed with around seven charges. A minimum of 30 minutes is necessary to charge an electric car to full capacity.
In terms of the impact on personal finances, an advantage highlighted by the State Grid Corp., drivers will be charged 400 yuan ($64.43) for the Beijing-Shanghai journey, which is equivalent to approximately 50 percent of the gasoline cost.
Zhang Hui, a car-rental marketing officer based in China's capital city, told reporters that expressways are ideal for charging stations as, unlike hectic city areas, installation is comparatively easy in such locations.
Zhang added that he typically does not recommend lengthy journeys for electric car users, in the interest of avoiding the waiting times from charging.