Owners reporting problems with EVs
By Jin Jing |
July 19, 2011, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
OWNERS of the city's first batch of electric vehicles are reporting many problems, including a lack of charging facilities, weak air conditioning and insufficient braking power, after the first three months of trial use.
"It's just not cold enough even after I turn on the air conditioner to the maximum power," said Zhu Xiao, who has driven a Chery M1 electric car since April.
"I also found that it's better to hit the brake a little bit earlier, as the braking power lags behind that of the gasoline-powered cars," she said.
The 28-year-old office worker from the Shanghai International Automobile City Group Co in Jiading District was among the first batch of eight private users of emission-free vehicles in Shanghai over the past three months.
They were offered models produced by four Chinese auto makers including Lifan, Chery, Zotye and BYD.
After vehicle defects, difficulty in battery charging was car owners' next-biggest concern. Although several charging poles have been set up in their working area, some car owners had to return their vehicles to the car maker for recharging due to different charging standards.
Cost savings cited
Although there is still some inconvenience in using EVs, the cost advantage remains the big attraction.
"It took me only 200 yuan (US$31) for the driving cost in the past three months, which is really cheap amid the rising gasoline prices," Zhu told Shanghai Daily.
"I have no intention of changing my EV, and I am confident those problems will all be solved with the widespread use of those environmentally friendly models in the future," Zhu said.
Shanghai is encouraging the use of green models via purchase incentives and trial operations.
Rong Wenwei, general manager of the automobile city development group, said it may take a long time to replace existing cars with green cars in terms of safety and convenience. But still, people are interested.
According to an official from the auto city, about 100 visitors a day have gone to the newly opened test drive center for EVs over the past two months.
The city plans to have 20,000 new energy vehicles running on the streets by next year with 25,000 charging poles.
"It's just not cold enough even after I turn on the air conditioner to the maximum power," said Zhu Xiao, who has driven a Chery M1 electric car since April.
"I also found that it's better to hit the brake a little bit earlier, as the braking power lags behind that of the gasoline-powered cars," she said.
The 28-year-old office worker from the Shanghai International Automobile City Group Co in Jiading District was among the first batch of eight private users of emission-free vehicles in Shanghai over the past three months.
They were offered models produced by four Chinese auto makers including Lifan, Chery, Zotye and BYD.
After vehicle defects, difficulty in battery charging was car owners' next-biggest concern. Although several charging poles have been set up in their working area, some car owners had to return their vehicles to the car maker for recharging due to different charging standards.
Cost savings cited
Although there is still some inconvenience in using EVs, the cost advantage remains the big attraction.
"It took me only 200 yuan (US$31) for the driving cost in the past three months, which is really cheap amid the rising gasoline prices," Zhu told Shanghai Daily.
"I have no intention of changing my EV, and I am confident those problems will all be solved with the widespread use of those environmentally friendly models in the future," Zhu said.
Shanghai is encouraging the use of green models via purchase incentives and trial operations.
Rong Wenwei, general manager of the automobile city development group, said it may take a long time to replace existing cars with green cars in terms of safety and convenience. But still, people are interested.
According to an official from the auto city, about 100 visitors a day have gone to the newly opened test drive center for EVs over the past two months.
The city plans to have 20,000 new energy vehicles running on the streets by next year with 25,000 charging poles.
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