Charging piles popularize new energy vehicles in rural areas

Currently, many regions across China are constructing more charging infrastructures to make it easier for new energy vehicles to enter rural areas.

"The car battery capacity can be charged up to half within half an hour, and the monthly charging cost is only around 100 yuan," said Guo Xin'an, a resident of Juwang village, Anqing city in east China's Anhui Province. Now, Guo no longer worries about charging his car because a charging pile was installed in the nearby village in March.

"Promoting the construction of charging facilities is crucial for developing rural areas," said Ma Cuibing, Director of the Automotive Industry Division at Department of Industry and Information Technology of Anhui Province.

This move offers more vehicle choices in rural areas, makes it more convenient for urban residents to visit the countryside, and drives the rapid development of industries such as tourism, logistics, and supporting services for new energy vehicles, thereby promoting employment and promoting local economic development.

Experts state that there is an increasing number of consumers who enjoy driving tours with natural and pastoral scenery, so the rural tourism market has great potential. Besides, with policy guidance and the increasing residents' income, vehicle consumption in rural areas will continue to grow.

"The ownership rate of new energy vehicles in counties and rural areas is much lower than in cities, so there is tremendous room for improvement," said Cui Dongshu, Secretary-General of the China Passenger Car Association.

Cui believes that achieving the popularization of new energy vehicles in county and rural markets are significant for optimizing residents' consumption structure and implementing a strategy of expanding domestic demand.

The "Research on Electric Vehicle Travel in Rural Areas of China" published by ChinaEV100 predicted that by 2030, there will be more than 70 million vehicles in rural China, with a vehicle ownership rate of about 160 per thousand people.

China Association of Automobile Manufacturers predicted a market scale of 500 billion yuan when the rural travel needs are satisfied.

Source: Xinhua; trans-edited by Guo Yao