Rural charging stations leads to more convenient, green travel in Zhejiang
By Li Jiaying | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2023-11-23 20:01
Villagers in Zhejiang province now have easier access to charging piles as the State Grid Corp of China and local government join efforts to build a favorable environment for the widespread use of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in rural areas.
"With a convenient location, fast charging capability and reasonable prices, the charging station built in the village has greatly facilitated our lives," said Chen Xinbiao when he went back to his hometown— Dong'ao village in Zhejiang province, this week.
A few years ago, when Chen returned to his hometown, he had to calculate the mileage and locate charging stations before departing, Chen said. "This time, people in my family told me that a charging station had been built in the village square, so I can rest assured," he said.
This Tuesday, employees of the State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power Co Ltd went to the village and provided technical guidance on how to use NEV charging piles in a safe way, as part of its efforts to better serve car owners for convenient travels. The company, in collaboration with the transportation and energy bureaus of the Zhejiang provincial government, has connected the smart public service system with its intelligent charging pile platform.
The collaboration allows real-time sharing of information on the use of charging piles, facilitating monitoring and operational maintenance, said the company. NEV owners can also easily check real-time usage and locations of charging piles, and plan their charging routes in advance through mobile apps like AutoNavi.
With good driving performance, low maintenance costs and advantages in environmental friendliness, NEVs are increasingly favored by local residents. The improvements in the charging network have further boosted the process.
"Since the charging station was put into operation, more than 20 NEVs have been added to the village, with more villagers considering joining the group,"said Chu Mengyue, head of the village committee. Chu said it only takes 40 minutes to complete the charging of his car, which costs less than one yuan (14 US cents) per kilowatt-hour, making it convenient and affordable.
As NEVs continue to be promoted and popularized, private charging piles are also entering households. To help villagers achieve green travel and drive back to their hometowns in a more facilitated manner, Zhejiang plans to have more than 2.3 million charging piles by 2025, with no less than 900,000 in rural areas. This includes newly building 120,000 public charging piles, with no less than 20,000 in rural areas, to meet the charging needs of over 4 million NEVs.
