The brand-new Gaoantun charging station, located in the eastern Beijing district of Chaoyang, sports more than 10 types of EV charging and battery swapping machines. 

Would you like a charge or a battery swap today? If you’re in Beijing, you can fill up your EV’s electron tank any way you like, as China's largest EV charging and battery swapping station is now open for business. According to China Radio International, the brand-new Gaoantun charging station, located in the eastern Beijing district of Chaoyang, sports more than 10 types of EV charging and battery swapping machines, covering all charging modes currently available in China.

Up to eight vehicles can fill up simultaneously, and a battery swap takes only four to six minutes.

Beijing is one of 25 pilot cities in China where the government is encouraging “new energy” vehicles. The city is building a new energy grid that will include six large-scale concentrated charging stations, 250 charging and battery swapping stations and 210 small delivery stations by the end of 2015.

China plans to have more than 500,000 electric, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles on the road by 2015, and five million by 2020.

Image: Renato Ganoza