Wantchinatimes.com: The world's largest electronics contract manufacturer, Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn), plans to expand its electric-car rental business in ten more cities in China after the business started in Beijing last year, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Commercial Times.
The company has been partnered with Chinese automaker BAIC in the electric-car rental business in Beijing since last year. Now they have 200 charging stations offering more than 1,000 BAIC E150 electric vehicles for rent in the city.
Since the beginning of this year, Hon Hai has launched similar services in Hangzhou and Changzhou in the eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu respectively. Guiyang in southwest Guizhou province will start operations with 100 electric vehicles in July.
The goal is to set up more than ten operation sites around the country before the end of this year. Candidate cities include the megacities of Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as Wuzhou in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
The electric-car rental service is activated through the company's smartphone app, website and the WeChat platform. Customers will be able to use the car with a QR code sent to their smartphones after orders are confirmed. The company works with Alipay for online payment.
The new-generation electric vehicles will be equipped with internet connectivity which warns drivers of low battery and shows the nearest charging station beforehand. The first priority is to solve charging problems for users, the company said.
The electric-car rental business has yet to contribute much revenue for the company as the market is still in early-development in China. Hon Hai is aiming for the bigger contract manufacturing market behind it, one unnamed market analyst said.
The company has been partnered with Chinese automaker BAIC in the electric-car rental business in Beijing since last year. Now they have 200 charging stations offering more than 1,000 BAIC E150 electric vehicles for rent in the city.
Since the beginning of this year, Hon Hai has launched similar services in Hangzhou and Changzhou in the eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu respectively. Guiyang in southwest Guizhou province will start operations with 100 electric vehicles in July.
The goal is to set up more than ten operation sites around the country before the end of this year. Candidate cities include the megacities of Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as Wuzhou in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.
The electric-car rental service is activated through the company's smartphone app, website and the WeChat platform. Customers will be able to use the car with a QR code sent to their smartphones after orders are confirmed. The company works with Alipay for online payment.
The new-generation electric vehicles will be equipped with internet connectivity which warns drivers of low battery and shows the nearest charging station beforehand. The first priority is to solve charging problems for users, the company said.
The electric-car rental business has yet to contribute much revenue for the company as the market is still in early-development in China. Hon Hai is aiming for the bigger contract manufacturing market behind it, one unnamed market analyst said.
