It’s taken many decades for the petrol station network to be as extensive as it is today, with stations available just about anywhere. Motorists do not worry about finding a station when they are low on fuel unless they are in a very remote area. Even then, if they can get a lift to a station, they can bring back fuel.
Not so with EVs, which is one of the issues that makes many car-buyers hesitate when considering an EV. There’s range anxiety, a concern which relates to running out of electricity in the battery and then being unable to find a charging station near enough because the network is still limited.
Charging network needs to grow quickly
So in order to give car-buyers more confidence to switch to EVs, the charging station network needs to be as widespread as possible, and as quickly as possible. Tesla was the first to address this issue by developing its own chargers and then installing them itself.
Other automakers have also been making similar investments, either on their own or with charge point operators (CPOs). China’s XPENG is one of them and it has been establishing a fast-charging infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region.
Over 2.4 million charging points
Its global charging partnership network has over 2.4 million charging points across Europe and Asia Pacific, and soon, it will increase this number by 3,800 in the Asia Pacific. This additional number will come from the charging network operated by Charge Plus in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
It includes the largest public charging network in Singapore with a local market share of over 30%, as well as charging stations spanning 5,000 kms of highways across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Through this cooperation, XPENG has become the first Chinese emerging EV brand to work with Charge Plus in Southeast Asia, accessing over 3,800 charging points which will fully connect the north-south expressway network in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This will significantly increase the coverage density of the charging network in the region and provide more convenient and interconnected charging services, especially for XPENG owners.
The 1st batch of co-branded XPENG charging stations in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand will have DC charging supply as high as 350 kW. This will significantly shorten the charging time for models such as G6, G9, X9, all of which are equipped with the 800V fast-charging capabilities and the 5C Supercharging AI Battery.
Benefits for XPENG owners
By the end of this year, at the XPENG & Charge Plus co-branded stations, XPENG owners will be able to enjoy special charging discounts. They be able ‘drive-in, charge&go’ experience with one-stop payment functions using a mobile app.
