2020.9.10 Day 2, Hengyang, Hunan – Zunyi, Guizhou
Departed at 8:30 and arrived at 8:30, charging for 100 minutes, driving 763 km, took an extra 40 km detour for charging.
Today’s theme is Schrodinger’s pile – this is a topic that long-distance EV road trippers cannot avoid. I had to take a 40 km detour for charging today because we had to exit the highway three times due to the lack of charging options on the highway.
The first time was at a service area where all charging piles were enclosed behind colored steel sheets due to the pandemic, leaving only one entrance/exit which we couldn’t use. Luckily, there was a charging pile only 3 km away from the highway. I read a few pages of “Traditional Chinese Medicine Prescriptions Hidden in Characters” under a tree shade while charging, stressing out due to the low battery range.
The second time we had to exit, we arrived at a Tesla Supercharger in Huaihua City.
The third time, all four charging piles with eight guns at the service area indicated a malfunction. Although it was possible to reach the next service area charging station with the remaining battery, we decided to exit the highway and charge in Yinjiang, Tongren City, Guizhou Province, for safety reasons. This city is in the mountains and requires going up and down twists and turns on the mountain road to enter or exit the highway. Unexpectedly, we saw a Ferris wheel and a kindergarten with red, yellow, and blue colors. According to Baidu’s Baike, Yinjiang has “no extreme heat in summer or extreme cold in winter,” which is truly beautiful.
It is obvious that the service areas in Guizhou have very few charging stations, and the maintenance and management is poor. To prevent the spread of epidemics, the charging stations are all enclosed, indicating that the management does not value the charging stations and does not consider them as a necessary service for service areas.
Therefore, when planning for charging stations, there should be backup plans. If this charging station is not available, there should be a backup charging station, which leaves a way out.
We can only hope that the popularity of charging stations and the improvement of their management will increase. I have been able to feel the improvement over the year and a half that I have owned a car, and I believe that this improvement will continue to accelerate.
At present, automobile brands are mainly constructing charging stations in urban areas, so there is a sense of security when charging in the city. However, charging stations on highways are difficult to satisfy (except in Guangdong). The charging stations run by the State Grid and Southern Power Grid on highways lack operational capacity, have many faulty stations, and are not maintained.
New powers are also beginning to lay out charging stations in service areas on highways. Several Tesla supercharging stations have been built in high-speed service areas in Yunnan, and I believe that more manufacturers’ stations will be deployed in service areas next year.
Today, I also realized that if you buy an electric car with a long range or a large battery, you can get longer high-power charging during charging, which can save time, especially during long-distance driving.
Today’s roads are all two-lane, and there are many mountains and tunnels in Guizhou, with speed limits between 110 and 80, which greatly reduces the driving experience.
Zunyi is a red city, with many brightly lit red lanterns or Chinese knots on the road, which creates a red atmosphere, and there are also many magnificent hotels. I asked someone for directions to the hotel where the supercharging station was located. He was a tourist with a group badge on his chest. After 9 o’clock, there were not many people and cars on the road, and the mall was also closed.
Traveling is tiring. Writing a diary is a way for me to relax.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.