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10 Hour Road Trip Across CHINA in an EV… 🇨🇳 (Could I Actually Make It?)
Renting a Car in China and Driving an EV: Chongqing to Kunm…
How to Rent a Car in China 🚗 🇨🇳 (AND Final Impressions of Driving in China) ⤵️
Based on what I've heard in the news, it seemed like China was taking over the world's electric vehicle market... But is it really true? In this video, I'll be driving over 10 hours (560 miles / 900 km) through some of...
How to Rent a Car in China and drive an EV holiday through some of the country’s less-traveled roads. We follow a 10-hour journey from Chongqing to Kunming to see if the promised EV infrastructure is truly there, how charging works on long trips, and what life on rural Chinese roads is actually like. The video covers practical details like tolls, road quality, car features, and self-driving cruise control, alongside broader questions about Chinese highways, driving styles, and the differences between Chinese and American road systems. It also touches on policing, checkpoints, and the realities of navigating licensing and car rental as a foreign visitor. Throughout, the creator measures whether China’s EV ecosystem stands up to expectations set by media narratives, sharing firsthand impressions and scenes from highways, charging stops, convenience stores, and scenery along the way. The tone remains curious and observational, offering direct comparisons while acknowledging affiliate partnerships and the channel’s ongoing plans for future travel installments. The trip aims to reveal what everyday driving in China feels like beyond the headlines, with a clear emphasis on practical travel experience and personal impressions.
A bold road trip unfolds as the traveler tests China’s EV scene by driving over ten hours and hundreds of miles from Chongqing to Kunming. The video dives into the real world behind news headlines about electric vehicle dominance, exploring charging infrastructure, tolls, highway quality, and what life on road looks like in China’s more remote areas. Along the way, the traveler examines how Chinese roads feel, how locals drive, and how customized Chinese cars and EV features stack up against expectations. The narration blends practical questions about renting a car, obtaining a driver’s license, and comparing highway culture with the U.S., with hands-on moments like charging stops, visiting convenience stores, and noting police checkpoints and surveillance on major routes. The creator also hints at future content, teasing a Russia-in-China follow-up, and reflects candidly on whether the EV market in China truly leads on reliability and ease of use for foreigners. The piece balances a旅行
How to Rent a Car in China and drive an EV holiday through some of the country’s less-traveled roads. We follow a 10-hour journey from Chongqing to Kunming to see if the promised EV infrastructure is truly there, how charging works on long trips, and what life on rural Chinese roads is actually like. The video covers practical details like tolls, road quality, car features, and self-driving cruise control, alongside broader questions about Chinese highways, driving styles, and the differences between Chinese and American road systems. It also touches on policing, checkpoints, and the realities of navigating licensing and car rental as a foreign visitor. Throughout, the creator measures whether China’s EV ecosystem stands up to expectations set by media narratives, sharing firsthand impressions and scenes from highways, charging stops, convenience stores, and scenery along the way. The tone remains curious and observational, offering direct comparisons while acknowledging affiliate partnerships and the channel’s ongoing plans for future travel installments. The trip aims to reveal what everyday driving in China feels like beyond the headlines, with a clear emphasis on practical travel experience and personal impressions.
In this road journey, the traveler swaps trains for a car to explore rural China and evaluate the real-world EV experience. The Audi Q6L, a China-exclusive electric vehicle, becomes the star of the show, with green license plates signaling its electric status and a cockpit that initially overwhelms with multiple screens and settings. The pair discusses the car’s advanced driver-assistance features, including lane keep assist and a heads-up display that shows speed limits and navigation nudges. To stay connected across hundreds of miles of rural roads, they rely on an eSIM provider called UBG, praising its broad coverage and regional data plans. The road trip unfolds from Chongqing through mountainous terrain with tunnels and winding routes, where traffic signage is often bilingual or translated to English for major routes. They encounter a mix of modern EV charging bays and traditional service areas, sample snacks at gas stations, and observe the varying quality and reliability of charging stations, sometimes dealing with machine errors and login hurdles. Police checkpoints appear intermittently, testing documents and the trip’s compliance, while the landscape shifts from green river valleys to pine-covered mountains and carved hillside villages. Throughout, the travelers compare driving norms to the US, reflect on China’s EV ecosystem relative to media narratives, and share candid impressions of rural hospitality, infrastructure, and the everyday rhythm of long-distance travel in an EV. Traveler Raz and his companion Razian navigate charging queues, payment steps, and the trials of cross-provincial border checks, ending with a sense of accomplishment about what this kind of trip reveals about modern China and its big electric future.
In this travel diary, the creator trades rail and air travel for a countryside road trip across China’s southern backbone, aiming to test the viability of long distance EV driving. The adventure starts in Chongqing, a cyberpunk city perched among mountains, where the Audi Q6L, a China-exclusive electric vehicle, serves as the main chariot. The driver explains the green license plates identify EVs, and notes the car’s many screens, the need to switch the infotainment system to English, and the car’s advanced features like lane-keeping, heads-up display, and adaptive driving aids. The trip spans roughly 560 miles toward Kunming in Yunnan province, with the duo hoping to gauge charging infrastructure, toll systems, road quality, and rural driving conditions. The narrator highlights the necessity of reliable internet connectivity for navigation and charging, introducing UBG as their eSIM provider offering wide coverage and regional plans. This early stretch reveals a landscape of tunnels,霧
A foreign traveler rents an EV in Chongqing to drive to Kunming, testing long-distance charging, road quality, and rural driving in China while comparing EV and
Long-Distance EV Road Trip in China: Chongqing to Kunming
10:30 Use the car's built-in charging locator to plan stations ahead of long stretches; expect mixed results at different stations and have a backup payment method.
16:00 When charging, allow extra time for login and machine issues; consider alternating stations to keep travel on schedule.
29:00 Be prepared for police checks; carry passport, license, and car documents, and stay calm if asked about route and destination.
10:30 Use the car's built-in charging locator to plan stations ahead of long stretches; expect mixed results at different stations and have a backup payment method.
16:00 When charging, allow extra time for login and machine issues; consider alternating stations to keep travel on schedule.
29:00 Be prepared for police checks; carry passport, license, and car documents, and stay calm if asked about route and destination.
10:00 chin scenery deepens
28:00 police check again
33:50 rural scenery grows
36:20 night mode engages
37:40 trip wrap-up
0:00 Intro
0:38 First Impressions of EV
2:20 Driving out of Chongqing
2:39 Surveillance Cameras on Chinese Roads
3:15 Customized Chinese Cars
5:47 Features of the EV
7:12 Paying Tolls
8:15 Chinese vs. American Highways
9:29 Condition of Roads & How Chinese People Drive
10:20 Charging Stop 1
17:49 Convenience Store
24:42 Self-Driving Cruise Control
25:44 Chinese EV Market Compared to the U.S.
26:16 Unnecessary Police Sirens
27:57 Scenery
28:51 Police Checkpoint
30:02 Charging Stop 2
35:40 Police Checkpoint 2
36:57 How to Rent a Car in China & get a Driver's License
Is driving an EV across China feasible for foreigners?
Yes, but it requires planning charging stops, navigating local systems, and accepting that some charging stations may be finicky. The experience is doable with flexibility and reliable connectivity.
