400 charging stations?
Really..? I have to wonder how many Teslas have been sold there to merit this. Or maybe it was just one imported and the rest are pirated copies?
Tesla has announced that it intends to build a huge charging network in China: 400 stations in 120 cities, and 20 supercharging stations. The company, which recently announced it had started work on a charging network in Australia, has told Bloomberg the network will be built under an agreement with mobile phone company China …
"I'm wondering how many Chinese could really afford one."
It's a rapidly expanding market. There's a new middle class emerging in China, consisting of people who traditionally haven't been able to afford luxuries. If things continue as they are, there will be a HUGE demand for new cars there in the near future. It's a gamble for Tesla, but if the government subsidizes electric cars as expected, it's one which could really pay off.
Also, having a network of well-placed charging stations is an attractive prospect for people. I was in the Trafford Centre over the weekend, where there's an electric car charging station. I was surprised to see it quite full, mostly consisting of shoppers' Nissan Leafs (leaves?), just getting a top up while they went shopping/ eating for a few hours. I think it's safe to assume they'll all have charging facilities at home.