Tesla inks deal to build a network of charging stations for its electric cars across China

Early this year, Tesla Motors revealed plans for a network of free charging stations in China, which would let owners of its electric cars travel long distances in the country, such as between major cities Beijing and Shanghai.

Now the plans are taking shape, as Reuters first reported. Tesla confirmed to TNW that it has reached an agreement with China Unicom to build 400 charging points in 120 Chinese cities and 20 superchargers in 20 cities. The charging facilities will be ready by the end of this year and opened to Tesla customers for free.

Tesla launched the Model S online design studio in January this year with a minimal markup — customers have to fork out CNY734,000 (about $121,000) for the Model S with the premium 85 kWh battery pack. However, this price still puts it squarely in the high-end category.

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