As a key highlight of the 4th Consumer Expo, the inaugural Hainan 2024 New Energy Vehicle Crowd-testing Island Circuit Race is set to kick off from the southernmost tourist station along Hainan's island tourism road, Yīngē Tàlàng (鹦歌踏浪), on April 12th. The route will traverse through Sanya and Wànníng, then cross horizontally to Dānzhōu along the Wànyáng Expressway, offering experiences at stations such as Dān'ěr Zhuīguāng (儋耳追光) and Huǒshān Hǎi'àn (火山海岸), before culminating in Hǎikǒu. The total journey covers approximately 600 kilometers.
(Image caption: Hainan, China, 2024 - The inaugural route map for the New Energy Vehicle Public Testing Island Circuit Race)
From the event's route map, it's clear that the race course carves out an S-curve across Hainan Island. What's the rationale behind such a design? According to officials from the event's organizing committee and the Hainan International Economic Development Bureau, the S-shaped route not only connects numerous well-known cities and cultural tourist attractions across Hainan but also spans the island's "central axis" along the Wanyang Expressway. This design fully showcases the unique charm of Hainan's most beautiful island circumnavigation tourism highway, its local customs and cultures, while also encompassing a variety of road conditions including parts of expressways and urban roads. Through the ultimate test of endurance and intelligent driving capabilities, the real performance levels of new energy vehicles are highlighted.
Endurance is a key factor many users consider when purchasing new energy vehicles. This test will evaluate the maximum distance a vehicle can travel from 100% to 0% battery charge, providing a real-world benchmark for endurance, thereby offering a reference point for potential buyers. Furthermore, with increasing consumer interest in new energy vehicle technologies, such as intelligent driving and smart cabins, this event will also assess various models' Navigation on Autopilot (NOA) capabilities, showcasing their intelligent driving levels.
The event, organized by Douyin Group's Dongchedi, has called for real users and driving enthusiasts nationwide to test the market's best-selling new energy vehicle models. More than 20 different brands of new energy vehicles will gather on the island for the circumnavigation public testing, fully demonstrating the cutting-edge technology levels of mainstream new energy vehicles today and bolstering consumer confidence in their purchases.
It's noteworthy that to support the creation of a low-carbon, green travel model for the island tourism highway and enhance the overall service level of the island tourism highway, to date, Hainan Traffic Control Energy Co., Ltd., in collaboration with industry leaders like Huawei and NIO, has installed 73 supercharging/fast-charging piles in 10 parking areas and stations across 9 city and county sections of the island tourism highway in Wenchang, Qionghai, Wanning, Danzhou, etc., effectively meeting the rapid charging needs of new energy vehicles participating in the event and passing tourists. To match the overall landscape image of the island tourism highway, the organizing committee has also hired top design teams to work on the charging stations' appearance and signage, further highlighting Hainan's ecological foundation and the unique charm of the island tourism highway.
This edition of the event, themed "Green Action in Hainan, Intelligent Control of the Future," aims to leverage the national-level exhibition platform of the Consumer Expo to promote and gather momentum for the low-carbon economy and green travel concepts. It also intends to publicize and promote Hainan's island tourism resources, attract more intelligent connected vehicle pilot projects, and expand related exchanges and cooperation.
The event is co-hosted by the Hainan International Economic Development Bureau, Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, Hainan Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, and organized by Douyin Group, Dongchedi, Hainan Development Holding Co., Ltd., Hainan Tourism Investment Group Co., Ltd., Hainan Provincial Transportation Investment Holding Co., Ltd. It is supported and assisted by the Society of Automotive Engineers of China, China Automobile Dealers Association, China Electric Vehicle Hundred People's Meeting, and the government of Ledong County.
Map Layout of Charging Stations at Parking Areas Along the Hainan Island Ring Road Tourism Highway
Wanning Section of the Island Ring Road Tour
Wanyang Expressway
Danzhou Dongpo Cultural Tourism Zone (Dongpo Academy)
