Qingdao sees improved infrastructure for NEVs
By Pan Junqiang, People’s
Daily
As one of the first batch
of pilot cities for new energy vehicle (NEV) application, Qingdao, east China’s
Shandong Province is seeing rapid growth of the number of NEVs and charging
facilities since 2013.
Li Ting is a civil
servant working in the city’s West Coast New Area who used to
commute between his office and home by a gasoline-fueled vehicle. Now, with
improved ecology for NEVs, Li has turned into a big fan of electric cars.
After the Spring Festival
of 2019, Li bought a two-seat electric car and received a green plate - one
that is exclusive for NEVs. Now he drives the new car to work every day.
“The car is small and
flexible, so it is easy to make U-turns and park. That’s why I bought it,” Li
explained, saying the NEV makes less noise and has a quick launch.
What’s more, over 50
charging poles have been deployed beside Li’s office building thanks to Qingdao’s
efforts to improve infrastructure for electric vehicles. According to Li, who
drives around 30 kilometers per day commuting between offices and home, a full
charge enables week-long driving.
Zhou Dachuan, general
manager of an NEV project of SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile in Qingdao, said he once
installed charging poles at 10 parking spaces he rented in a residential
complex in the West Coast New Area, and soon many residents there bought their
NEVs.
“The people actually need
electric vehicles, and the convenient charging facilities helped us sell our
cars, ” Zhou said.
To have a more reasonable
distribution of charging infrastructure across the city, Qingdao had a thorough
investigation of people’s need in different parts of the city, and launched an
online platform which makes drivers find charging poles more easily.
At present, 8 new energy
companies have registered in Qingdao and started constructing and operating
charging facilities, including the State Grid Electric Vehicle Service Company
Shandong branch and TELD, the operator of China’s largest charging network.
“To build charging
infrastructure, the builders must take the layout and users’ accessibility into
consideration,” said Ding Wei, general manager of TELD’s Qingdao branch, adding
that the charging speed is also an important factor.
So far, Qingdao has
completed 1,122 charging stations, and 30 more are under construction. It has
over 17,300 charging poles, or 3.5 for each electric vehicle. Charging stations
in downtown Qingdao are built at an interval of less than 2 kilometers, and
those in central area are built at an interval of less than 1 kilometer.
“We have built smart charging
poles and developed a mobile application, so that the poles and users' phones
are connected,” Ding introduced. Users can search for the nearest charging
stations on the application, he said.
Experts noted that to
boost NEV sales, improved infrastructure alone is not enough, and relevant
R&D is also needed to extend the range of electric cars.
New energy vehicles are being charged at a charging station in Qingdao,
east China’s Shandong Province. Photo provided by TELD Shandong branch
Qingdao sees improved infrastructure for NEVs
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