New energy vehicle owners must make energy replenishment plans when traveling long distances.
During the Spring Festival holiday, do you choose to drive a new energy vehicle home? According to estimates from the State Council Information Office, during this year’s Spring Festival travel period, cross-regional movement of people across the country will reach 9 billion. It is estimated that the number of non-commercial passenger car trips on Spring Festival Expressways and general national and provincial trunk lines will reach nearly 7.2 billion, and the proportion of self-driving trips during the Spring Festival holiday will exceed 80% of the total travel volume in society.
Among them, a considerable number of people choose new energy vehicles to travel during the Spring Festival holiday. In the cold weather combined with concentrated and explosive travel, hybrid vehicles that can be used with gasoline and electricity are fine, but pure electric vehicles will undoubtedly face another "big test" in Spring Festival travel.
Recently, reporters interviewed many new energy vehicle owners, online ride-hailing drivers and passengers about their experiences and opinions on long-distance travel by new energy vehicles during the Spring Festival. Everyone was generally concerned about the endurance and energy replenishment efficiency of electric vehicles in low-temperature environments.
Text/Photo by Guangzhou Daily All-Media Reporter Deng Li (except for signature)
Survey: Electric vehicle owners are brave enough to take on challenges, while hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle owners are the most calm.
The Spring Festival is approaching. Mr. Gao, who has worked in Guangzhou for many years, plans to drive his newly purchased pure electric car back to his hometown in Hunan. After doing his homework, he is still a little uneasy. The journey was more than 700 kilometers, and the weather in his hometown was cold. Someone who had been there suggested that Mr. Gao should charge at least three times before arriving home. "It would take more than three hours to charge alone along the way. You also have to queue up, encounter unsuitable bad piles, etc." Question, to be honest I don’t feel reassured.”
Among the several new energy car owners randomly interviewed by the reporter, the most calm ones were the owners of hybrid cars and NIO car owners who can swap batteries.
"In the past two years, I have been driving home during major holidays. It is convenient to replenish some electricity when charging, take a rest, and fill up with gas when waiting in line." said a car owner who drives a range-extended vehicle.
Xiao Qin, a NIO car owner, said that he had been worried about high-speed charging during holidays in the past. In the past two years, NIO's power swap stations on highways have been put in place, so traveling with "full power" is basically stress-free. He said, "We have upgraded the battery to a 100kWh one, so that it can last longer. After the holidays, we will replace it with a small battery pack that is more suitable for urban areas."
Of course, there are still many pure electric car owners who want to "challenge the difficulty." "The charging facilities in Guangdong Province are very complete, so I don't think it's a big problem. After I left the province, I also planned charging routes and high-speed charging alternatives, so I don't think it's a big problem." Mr. Liu, who usually runs online ride-hailing, told reporters According to the navigation route map he made on his mobile phone, there are charging points almost every three to four hundred kilometers along the highway back to his hometown in Jiangxi.
Two important reminders for new energy vehicles to “run long distances”:
During the interview, many experienced new energy car owners summarized to reporters two important reminders for long-distance driving: First, be sure to make a good recharge plan, know the locations of charging stations along the way, and have several similar alternatives. Second, it is recommended to charge the vehicle between 30% and 80%, because charging in this range is the fastest, most efficient, and saves time.
Adjustment: Big data guides vehicles to divert charging "off the highway"
The Ministry of Transport reminded that the average daily traffic volume during the Spring Festival this year is expected to reach 37.2 million vehicles, an increase of 7.5% compared with the same period last year. At the same time, the return peak is expected to occur on February 17 (the eighth day of the first lunar month). On that day, the expressway will reach 65.2 million vehicles, which is about 1.75 times the average traffic volume of the road network during the Spring Festival travel rush. Among them, the peak traffic volume of passenger cars will reach 62.7 million vehicles. , self-driving travel has become the absolute mainstay.
In addition to advising self-driving people to plan in advance and travel at off-peak hours to avoid traffic jams, the reporter noticed that in the face of this "Spring Festival Transport Test", the power grid also predicted charging needs based on past big data and guided diversion to ease car owners. Charging anxiety.
For example, Guangdong Power Grid said that in the past, the Shenzhen-Cen Expressway connecting Guangdong and Guangxi had heavy traffic during the Spring Festival. However, the Jiangbin Park charging station in Luoding City, Yunfu, Guangdong Province is only a 5-minute drive from the expressway entrance. Through data analysis and customer research, it was found , during long holidays, car owners often get off the highway to recharge when they reach this section of the road, and then continue to Guangxi after taking a short rest.
Yu Haisong, business manager of Guangdong Power Grid Electric Vehicle Service Co., Ltd., said, "We have invested in and built a number of charging piles in Luoding to effectively meet the charging needs of car owners traveling between provinces and cities and returning home during the Spring Festival."
It is reported that in 2023, Guangdong Power Grid will further develop a dense charging network on the basis of achieving full coverage of charging piles in towns and cities in 2022. 4,459 new charging piles will be built, and a total of more than 35,000 will be put into operation. At the same time, the equipment operation and maintenance level will be improved to better protect car owners. Traveling during the Spring Festival.
"Based on past experience, the problem of queuing up for charging when driving an electric vehicle on a highway is unavoidable. We suggest that car owners who encounter queues should look for charging stations near the highway exit instead of waiting in the service area." Related to the special call The person in charge told reporters that the Telaidian APP has specially customized a "charging map", and based on the highway sections that are often congested during the Spring Festival holidays in previous years, it has specially opened a "shake" function to search for nearby charging stations to facilitate car owners to find charging points in time. "Customer service and operation and maintenance are available 24 hours a day during the Spring Festival travel period, and can provide troubleshooting guidance to car owners remotely."
Guangdong Power Grid staff are operating and maintaining charging piles.
How to check real-time information about charging piles?
1. You can check the location, real-time status, charging mode and other information of national highway charging facilities through "e-road unblocked", special call and other small programs, and provide a one-click emergency light function.
2. The respective model brand APP can also query the location, charging power, price and other information of "charging stations" and "charging piles".
Guarantee: The expressway energy supplement network is initially established
At present, the energy supplement network of highways across the country has been basically completed. According to data from the Ministry of Transport, a total of 20,000 charging piles have been built in highway service areas across the country, covering 49,000 small passenger car parking spaces. The coverage rate of charging facilities in expressway service areas in 11 provinces including Beijing, Liaoning, Jilin, Shanghai, and Zhejiang has reached 100%.
Liu Kai, director of the China Charging Alliance, said that the current coverage of high-speed charging piles can basically meet the travel needs of most car owners. At the same time, according to the "Action Plan to Accelerate the Construction of Charging Infrastructure Along the Highways" issued by the Ministry of Transport and other departments, the charging infrastructure built in each expressway service area or the parking spaces reserved for construction and installation conditions are in principle no less than the parking spaces for small passenger cars. 10% of the position. This means that there is still a need for the construction of at least about 30,000 charging piles along the highway.
In addition, many car companies have self-built energy replenishment networks, which also give car owners the confidence to run long distances. "From February 8 to February 18, all users can enjoy free battery replacement service fees when traveling during the Spring Festival." NIO told reporters that currently all service centers and charging and swapping network services are "Spring Festival" No closing time” and “no price increase during the Spring Festival”. At present, NIO has built 2,360 battery swap stations across the country, including 769 highway battery swap stations.
In addition, Tesla, Xpeng, Jikrypton Motors, etc. also revealed that the current super charging stations on the highway are very complete and basically meet the needs of their users.
Reporter observation
As the weather gets colder, "electric vehicle battery life in winter" has been frequently searched. Especially during the peak period of returning home during the Spring Festival, it is not only a test for new energy vehicles, but also a test of the construction and operation capabilities of charging pile infrastructure. According to industry insiders, the "tidal" phenomenon of uneven heating and cooling determines that the construction of new energy vehicle piles cannot blindly consider the increase, but should also focus on improving quality to ensure its economy. At the same time, there is a need to simultaneously improve battery charging performance. It can be said that the basic charging facilities for new energy vehicles are crucial for consumers on one side and related to the automobile industry chain on the other.
Obviously, there is still much room for improvement in terms of charging convenience, charging efficiency, and stable power supply for new energy vehicles. The reporter noticed that relevant departments have made statements one after another. Previously, Xin Guobin, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, pointed out that in the future, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will further improve the quality of product supply and support the development of high-safety all-climate power batteries, heat pump air conditioners, vehicle thermal management and other technical research. , improve the thermal runaway technical standards of power batteries to further enhance the low-temperature applicability and safety of new energy vehicles and meet the needs of consumers in alpine regions. On January 18 this year, Jin Xiandong, director of the Policy Research Office of the National Development and Reform Commission, stated at a press conference of the State Council Information Office that it is necessary to speed up the construction of a high-quality charging infrastructure system, continuously optimize and improve the charging network layout, accelerate the construction of infrastructure in key areas, and improve The level of operation and service provides strong support for the development of the new energy automobile industry.
[Shushuo Charging Piles]
The "Operation Status of National Electric Vehicle Charging and Swapping Infrastructure in 2023" released by the China Charging Alliance shows:
As of December 2023, the cumulative number of charging infrastructure in my country is 8.596 million units, a year-on-year increase of 65%. In 2023, 3.386 million new charging infrastructure units will be added, accounting for 40% of the cumulative total.
In 2023, the sales volume of new energy vehicles in the domestic market will be 9.495 million units, and the incremental ratio of pile vehicles will be 1:2.8. The construction of charging infrastructure can basically meet the rapid development of new energy vehicles. In terms of regional distribution, the proportion of public charging piles built in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Hubei, Shandong, Beijing, Anhui, Henan, Sichuan and other places accounted for 70.7%.
[New energy vehicle travel reminder]
1. Basic vehicle condition
1. Tires and spare tires: If the tread of the tire is severely worn, or the side of the tire is damaged, cracked or bulging, it must be replaced in time.
2. Check the tire pressure: The tire pressure of each car model is different. The standard tire pressure of the four tires can be found in the vehicle manual, and the tire pressure of the spare tire needs to be slightly higher than the tire pressure.
3. Brake pads and brake fluid: The inspection contents of the brake system mainly include brake discs, brake pads and brake fluid. They should be replaced according to the wear degree of the brake pads and brake pads and the service life of the brake fluid. At the same time, they should also be inspected. Check whether the brake pipe is leaking or loose.
4. Lights and wipers: Check whether the headlights, turn signals, fog lights, and brake lights are working properly. Check whether the wiper strips are aging, hardened, or cracked. If any problems are found, replace them in time.
2. Batteries and charging
1. Pay attention to ensure that the battery performance is in optimal condition.
2. Plan the route and check the location of the local charging station in your hometown to ensure that your car is "online" at all times.
3. Keep track of your mileage during your itinerary.
The cruising range of electric vehicles at high speeds is often lower than usual. When returning home, you should control the mileage and try not to wait until the battery is almost exhausted before looking for a charging station. When the remaining battery is too low, it is best to turn off the air conditioner, music, navigation, etc. Prevent your car from "laying down".