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| An eHi Car Service outlet in Shanghai. Customers in Shanghai are able to rent an e-car for about 150 yuan a day, with eHi planning to equip recharging stations at its stores scattered across the city. |
Ray Zhang aims to be the first in China to introduce electric vehicles to a rental fleet
With local governments in most major Chinese cities fighting a losing battle against worsening air pollution, Ray Zhang in Shanghai has an idea.
It may not be exactly new, but he is putting into practice the idea of car pooling and the wider use of electric vehicle through his car rental company, eHi Car Service, which he founded in 2006. The Shanghai-based company now has 170 rental points in more than 60 cities nationwide.
Zhang aims to be the first in the country to introduce electric vehicles to a rental fleet of 10,000 cars. From this month, eHi will add 200 electric cars to its Shanghai fleet.
It's arguably a business decision.
Electric cars aren't exactly the favorite choice of rental customers, most of whom are concerned about their limited range. A typical electric car also costs 20 to 30 percent more than a car running on conventional fuel.
Zhang said he made the decision because he wants to contribute to the well-being of the environment, which has been subject to "terrible abuse".
"The number of automobiles in China has surpassed 100 million, and the cities have already become choked by too much traffic and pollution," said Zhang.
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