China’s Plan to Boost Rural EV Sales Meets With Skeptical Buyers
- Cost, lack of charging infrastructure are holding back demand
- Government is making a push to encourage rural EV adoption
To understand the challenges China faces in trying to encourage the uptake of electric cars in its vast rural regions, meet ride-share driver Hu Hang.
The 28-year-old spends his days ferrying workers, students and patients seeking medical treatment the 320 kilometers (200 miles) back and forth from Tanghe, a county of about 1 million residents, to the manufacturing hub of Zhengzhou in his diesel-fueled Maxus G10. The seven-seat minivan made by SAIC Motor Corp. costs around 180,000 yuan ($25,000). To make the switch to an electric car with enough range to keep him on the road all day, Hu would be looking at something like the 009 multi-purpose van from Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co.’s premium Zeekr brand, which goes for 499,000 yuan — well out of his price range.