Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) announced that it will adjust to China’s national charging standard after it is released, according to a report in the Economic Observer. This is the first time the U.S. firm has clarified its position. Tesla vice president of worldwide sales and service Jerome Guillen said that the company will operate in China, and abide its charging standards.
“Tesla will carry out business in China following the country’s charging standard. But the standard hasn’t been released, and as a technology-driven innovative company, Tesla can’t stop and wait,” Guillen said in a recent interview.
One more supercharger in China
The company shipped the first batch of eight vehicles to customers in Hangzhou on Thursday. Jerome Guillen and Veronica Wu, vice president of Tesla Motors China operations, were present during the ceremony. Additionally, the company has set up the first supercharging station in Hangzhou, the sixth in China overall. Wu said that it is vital for the company to set up charging stations and repair-centers throughout China.
According to sources, around 5,000 destination charging poles are to be added by the end of 2015.
Fans planning own charging station
Not long ago, Guangdong-based businessman Zong Yi launched a campaign to build first “electric vehicle charging road” in the country, which will stretch to 16 cities from Beijing to Guangzhou. Yi is paying for the recharging stations, including the indirect 5,750-kilometer route, says a report from Market Watch.
Zong bought Tesla Model S only to realize that there are no charging stations outside Beijing and Shanghai, meaning he will always be at the risk of running out of gas on his way back home to Guagnzhou. At first, Zong decided to carry a charger and use the power outlets at the hotels where he was staying. But then he came up with the idea of setting up charging stations on his own. However, he plans to install slow chargers instead of superchargers, which will require Model S to be on standby for eight hours for a full battery charge.
Another Tesla vehicle involved in crash
Recently, a Tesla Model S crashed in China, hitting a lamp post and then a parked vehicle while taking a U-turn. The violence of the accident can be seen in the fact that the crashed Model S is missing its right wheel. Moreover, almost the entire right body panel of the car is damaged. There were no serious injuries reported, but the driver and passenger of the car were taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
