Tesla to rework vehicles to meet Chinese charging standards
Tesla Inc.’s Model S and Model X vehicles sold in China starting in November will have recharging ports that comply with local standards, as CEO Elon Musk steps up efforts to establish a niche in the world’s largest electric vehicle market.
The autos will come with ports based on China’s GB standard, a company spokeswoman said via WeChat Monday. Tesla said it also will retrofit its Supercharger stations and destination charging sites in China and complete the changeover by next spring.
Sales of EVs have been hampered by range anxiety -- a fear of running out of electricity while on the road -- that has been exacerbated by the incompatibility of Tesla’s vehicles with charging stations built by China’s State Grid.
In 2015, the company said it would sell cars with domestic port specifications, replacing the European standard it adopts elsewhere. Tesla has the biggest charging network in China outside the United States.
“It is extremely important to us that Chinese customers be able to easily charge their vehicles for daily charging and long-distance travel,’’ Tesla said in a statement posted on its Chinese website.
Cars with ports that conform to local rules will enable Tesla owners in China to plug into stations operated by others as well. Existing Tesla vehicles in China will be provided with adapters to plug in to the retrofitted networks and infrastructure of other operators.
Tesla has rushed to expand its charging network and runs 951 Supercharger stations and 6,550 Supercharger posts globally that enable cars to be recharged in less than an hour, according to its website. In China, it will have more than 1,000 such facilities by year end.
The company delivered 13,500 cars to China in the first nine months of 2017, more than double its sales from a year earlier, according to data provided by the China Passenger Car Association.
“Tesla is facing greater competitive pressures from Chinese EV makers” providing cheaper models, said Cui Dongshu, general secretary of the association. “It is important for Tesla to adapt to the China market faster and promote their cars beyond top-tier cities, with greater access to charging facilities.”
China’s government aims to build 12,000 charging stations and 4.8 million distributed charging posts nationwide by 2020 to meet expected demand from 5 million EVs by then.
Sales of EVs have been hampered by range anxiety -- a fear of running out of electricity while on the road -- that has been exacerbated by the incompatibility of Tesla’s vehicles with charging stations built by China’s State Grid.
In 2015, the company said it would sell cars with domestic port specifications, replacing the European standard it adopts elsewhere. Tesla has the biggest charging network in China outside the United States.
“It is extremely important to us that Chinese customers be able to easily charge their vehicles for daily charging and long-distance travel,’’ Tesla said in a statement posted on its Chinese website.
Cars with ports that conform to local rules will enable Tesla owners in China to plug into stations operated by others as well. Existing Tesla vehicles in China will be provided with adapters to plug in to the retrofitted networks and infrastructure of other operators.
Tesla has rushed to expand its charging network and runs 951 Supercharger stations and 6,550 Supercharger posts globally that enable cars to be recharged in less than an hour, according to its website. In China, it will have more than 1,000 such facilities by year end.
The company delivered 13,500 cars to China in the first nine months of 2017, more than double its sales from a year earlier, according to data provided by the China Passenger Car Association.
“Tesla is facing greater competitive pressures from Chinese EV makers” providing cheaper models, said Cui Dongshu, general secretary of the association. “It is important for Tesla to adapt to the China market faster and promote their cars beyond top-tier cities, with greater access to charging facilities.”
China’s government aims to build 12,000 charging stations and 4.8 million distributed charging posts nationwide by 2020 to meet expected demand from 5 million EVs by then.
