The world's largest intelligent charging station for electric vehicles is located in Xuejiadao, Qingdao city, and it opened for operation two years ago on July 1. It has provided 17.88 million kWh for 138, 633 electric vehicles to run a total of 18.1 million kilometers over the last two years, according to Qingdaonews.com.

Together with another two power stations, on Yan'an Road and Shenzhen Road, the city supplies power charging for 450 buses. The average travel distance per bus increased from 90 to 150 kilometers, with the longest distance covered reaching 225 kilometers.

Qingdao Power Supply Company will establish several more stations this year, and the city will embrace a more rational and flexible power charging grid for electric vehicles, which can supply 1000 electric buses. An electric bus route linking Qingdao and Laixi, the first cross-city electricity-supplied transportation line, will also open to the public later this year.

Qingdao plans to add 20 more power charging stations for 1,500 buses by the end of the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), and to build the largest and most advanced intelligent power charging grid in the world.

Edited by Michael Thai, Li Xiaoliang and Gao Yuan