Vehicles make their way amid heavy traffic conditions during snowfall in Wuhan, in central China's Hubei province on Feb 6, 2024. — AFP
Long waits at highway charging stations, rapid battery depletion in freezing snow and limits on electric vehicles on car ferries because of safety fears have combined to make the Lunar New Year holiday a frustrating experience for China’s growing number of EV drivers.
For Dai Junqi, the 600 kilometer (373 mile) trip from Shenzhen to her hometown in her Model Y Tesla turned into a 13-hour saga. The combination of high-speed freeway driving with the air-con on meant she could only get about 75% of the car’s designed 420 kilometer range per charge, necessitating two recharging stops.
But with Chinese making a record number of trips during the weeklong holiday, and pure battery and plug-in hybrids now accounting for one in three new car sales, charging stations were overwhelmed.
“There were too many electric cars from all brands waiting,” Dai said, adding she was forced to line up for almost three hours, before taking another two hours to charge her car with another 80 kilometers of range.
After posting about her experience on social media, other Tesla owners told Dai to plan her return trip utilising the carmaker’s fast-charging stations. While they saved time charging, roads jammed by hordes of returning holidaymakers turned the journey into a 20-hour odyssey.
In central Hubei province, some drivers were forced to push their EVs for miles after heavy snow and freezing rain closed roads, and their batteries – which lose charge faster in cold weather – ran out of juice. According to local media reports, some even resorted to building fires on the road to keep warm because they were concerned using the car’s heater would deplete the battery even faster.
On the tropical island of Hainan – one of China’s most popular tourist spots – the local government restricted the number of EVs and plug-in hybrids on car ferries because of fears of fire or explosions, stranding thousands of cars.
While auto brands including Lynk & Co and Avatar have offered to help owners ship their cars, it could take weeks before the vehicles are returned.
China’s new-energy vehicle sales got off to a sluggish start this year, hampered by weak consumer sentiment and a slow economic recovery. China’s Passenger Car Association has forecast NEV sales will rise 25% this year, marking a slowdown from 36% growth in 2023 and 96% in 2022.
However, it wasn’t all headaches for EV drivers during the annual holiday migration. Assisted driving systems, widely installed in electric vehicles, helped relieve some drivers from the tedium of traffic jams. Dai, the Tesla Model Y owner, said she relied on the car’s autopilot system for 90% of her trip.
“I was much more relaxed as I didn’t need to press the accelerator all the time or closely watch the traffic conditions,” she said. Despite the range anxiety for long distance travel, Dai still enjoyed driving her Tesla. “I wish Tesla could have a hybrid version, but I know it’s not their choice.” – Bloomberg
