ZTE is part of Chinese initiative to clean-up transportation
WASHINGTON – ZTE, one of the largest global telecom manufacturers, is expanding into electric car charging.
The South China Morning Post reports that ZTE is expecting to gain contracts to provide charging equipment for 10 of China’s electric bus routes. ZTE reps declined to identify which cities will receive the charging equipment.
Academus Tian, VP of ZTE’s New Energy, told the Post he expects about 30% of the country’s new electric buses and vans to have a wireless-charging function in the next two years, most of them using ZTE’s technology.
“We have signed agreements with over a dozen car makers and expect more in the future,” he said.
Eco-friendly policies have become a major issue in China as high smog levels in major cities have begun to negatively affect quality-of-life. This has led Chinese officials in Beijing to implement alternative driving days for motorists, and in extreme cases, stop issuing license plates.
ZTE hopes to capitalize on the growing availability and profitability of purely electric vehicles.
“The company [ZTE] would first focus on how to supply power to public transportation rather than private cars,” Tian said. “ZTE is planning to expand the application of its wireless-charging technology to cars nationwide in 2017 at the earliest.”
The exact amount ZTE will invest in its wireless charging branch is still to be cemented, but the firm is estimating it will invest $567 million into automotive wireless-charging technology.
ZTE is not the only Chinese telecom firm to pursue wireless charging.
In August, China Unicom signed a deal with electrics car manufacturer Tesla to build 400 charging stations in 120 Chinese cities.
China’s central government is looking to provide $16 billion to spur development of clean car infrastructure nationwide.
