Wuhan’s first driverless EV charging station put into use

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- A Charging station in the ICV Base located in the national-level Economic and Technological Development Zone of Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province, has been completed and was put into use on October 9 according to a local media outlet. It is the first charging station for driverless EVs in Wuhan. 

In the station, there are 20 60kw DC (direct current) chargers and 20 AC (alternating current) charging posts to provide charging service for Dongfeng ICVs. In the future, the station may be able to charge up various kinds of autonomous vehicles, such as smart buses, sanitation vehicles, taxis and logistics trucks according to Lei Hao, the directing manager of the EV service branch in Wuhan of State Grid. 

(Photo source: Dongfeng Motor)

In November, 2016, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of People’s Republic of China and Hubei province signed a framework agreement, namely Application Demonstration of Intelligent vehicle and Transportation Based on Mobile Internet. Hubei Wuhan became the sixth ICV pilot zone in China.

It has so far attracted more than 40 domestic and foreign companies engaging in AI (artificial intelligence) R&D, self-driving test, 5G communications and the like to operate business there. It is scheduled to build a comprehensive demonstration zone with an area of 90 square kilometers, a test road spanning 68.3 kilometers and 152 crossings by 2020.     

The development zone is also slated to open up demonstration driving roads stretching for 159 kilometers at its whole smart eco-area, along which there are multiple scenarios including residential and commercial areas, logistics channels, scenic areas, industrial parks and highways.           

The station, blanketed with 5G signal, boasts intelligent sensing system and can help to realize autonomous driving and intelligent parking.