Tesla to further extend charging network in China

This photo, taken on July 24, 2014, shows a Tesla Model S vehicle charging by using super charging poles in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province. [Photo: Xinhua]

US electric car maker Tesla Motors plans to further extend its charging network in Chinese cities to allow Tesla owners to charge their cars for free and travel long distances, Shanghai Securities News reported on Tuesday.

Shanghai will see 5,000 destination charging poles by the end of 2015. Supercharge stations will also be built and extended to the cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou and Chongqing.

"Power-charging is no more a big issue for me. Tesla has set up charging equipment at my garage," said a customer surnamed Zhou, one of the first group of Tesla buyers in Hangzhou.

"The Tesla car can travel about 400 kilometers after an overnight charge," Zhou added.

Tesla has inked an agreement with real estate developer China Yintai Holdings, Ltd. to collaborate on a destination charging project.

Under the cooperation, Tesla charging facilities built in Yintai centers will provide free charging for Tesla vehicles.

Recently, Modern Land (China) Co., Limited has announced that it will team up with Tesla to install more than five charging poles at one of its all residential blocks to provide free charging for Tesla owners.

The Chinese government has been encouraging consumers to buy electric vehicles as one of the solutions against the country's pollution problems. But the plan has been partly hindered by the difficulties with charging infrastructure.