Wuxi became a little closer to becoming an electric car-friendly city after its first public electric vehicle charging station at Red Star Macalline - a furniture store in Binhu district.

Equipped with eight charging docks (five DC and three AC) the station can provide fast or slow charging services depending on the needs of the car owners. Charging fees are calculated on the basis of basic power charges with the addition of a service fee.

The station charges 1.19 yuan per kWh for buses and 1.55 yuan per kWh for private vehicles.

The government of Jiangsu has made a concerted effort to promote new energy cars and construct supporting charging facilities of late. The State Council issued a guideline in October to accelerate the construction of new energy vehicle charging facilities. The guideline required that newly built residential properties must either install recharging facilities in all their parking lots or have all the relevant components ready.

Following on from the guidelines issued last year, plans for a nationwide intercity fast charging network has been outlined. The project aims to provide electric vehicle charging coverage across the country's major cities by 2020.

Golden Concord Holdings Limited, the owner of Wuxi's first electric charging station, is an integrated energy group specializing in clean energy and a world-leading photovoltaic material manufacturer. The company plans to construct charging stations alongside the Wuxi – Singapore Industrial Park, Pullman Wuxi New Lake Hotel, Dangkou Historic Town and the administration center of Wuxi New District. It also plans to initiate a time-sharing electric vehicle rental business. Around 1,000 electric cars and 1,000 charging spots will be placed in Suzhou, with the aim of setting up an electric traffic network by the end of 2016.