Electric cars and charging: a Chinese conversation with pinyin

The conversation

Speakers: Yating and Xiaoyu.

1. Yating

   幸(xìng)亏(kuī)我(wǒ)们(men)在(zài)这(zhè)一(yí)站(zhàn)停(tíng)下(xià)了(le)，我(wǒ)车(chē)里(lǐ)只(zhǐ)剩(shèng)百(bǎi)分(fēn)之(zhī)十(shí)一(yī)的(de)电(diàn)了(le)。

   Good thing we stopped at this station; my car's down to 11% battery.

2. Xiaoyu

   百(bǎi)分(fēn)之(zhī)十(shí)一(yī)？我(wǒ)们(men)到(dào)下(xià)一(yí)站(zhàn)还(hái)有(yǒu)三(sān)百(bǎi)公(gōng)里(lǐ)呢(ne)！

   11%? We've still got 300 kilometers to go to the next stop!

3. Yating

   放(fàng)心(xīn)吧(ba)，截(jié)至(zhì)2026年(nián)9月(yuè)底(dǐ)，全(quán)国(guó)已(yǐ)经(jīng)有(yǒu)2477.7万(wàn)个(gè)充(chōng)电(diàn)桩(zhuāng)了(le)。

   Relax, as of the end of September 2026, there are already 24.777 million charging piles nationwide.

4. Xiaoyu

   那(nà)个(ge)是(shì)充(chōng)电(diàn)桩(zhuāng)还(hái)是(shi)卖(mài)饮(yǐn)料(liào)的(de)自(zì)动(dòng)售(shòu)货(huò)机(jī)啊(a)？

   Are those charging stations or drink vending machines?

5. Yating

   在(zài)手(shǒu)机(jī)地(dì)图(tú)上(shàng)搜(sōu)一(yí)下(xià)，扫(sǎo)码(mǎ)按(àn)度(dù)数(shu)付(fù)电(diàn)费(fèi)，再(zài)加(jiā)点(diǎn)服(fú)务(wù)费(fèi)就(jiù)行(xíng)。

   Just check your map app, scan the code to pay for electricity by the kilowatt-hour, plus a little service fee.

6. Xiaoyu

   比(bǐ)起(qǐ)充(chōng)电(diàn)，我(wǒ)宁(nìng)愿(yuàn)在(zài)车(chē)上(shàng)眯(mī)一(yí)会(huì)儿(r)。

   I'd rather just nap in the car than deal with charging.

7. Yating

   要(yào)不(bu)我(wǒ)们(men)去(qù)蔚(wèi)来(lái)换(huàn)电(diàn)站(zhàn)吧(ba)？你(nǐ)知(zhī)道(dào)换(huàn)一(yí)次(cì)电(diàn)池(chí)要(yào)多(duō)久(jiǔ)吗(ma)？

   How about we head to a NIO battery swap station? Do you have any idea how long a battery swap takes?

   1. 大(dà)约(yuē)三(sān)分(fēn)钟(zhōng) About three minutes
   2. 大(dà)约(yuē)三(sān)十(shí)分(fēn)钟(zhōng) About thirty minutes
   3. 大(dà)约(yuē)三(sān)个(gè)小(xiǎo)时(shí) About three hours

   Answer

   大(dà)约(yuē)三(sān)分(fēn)钟(zhōng) About three minutes

8. Xiaoyu

   三(sān)分(fēn)钟(zhōng)？而(ér)且(qiě)我(wǒ)还(hái)用(yòng)不(bù)着(zháo)下(xià)车(chē)？

   Three minutes? And I don't even have to get out of the car?

9. Yating

   把(bǎ)车(chē)停(tíng)到(dào)平(píng)台(tái)上(shàng)，自(zì)动(dòng)升(shēng)起(qǐ)来(lái)，底(dǐ)下(xia)的(de)旧(jiù)电(diàn)池(chí)就(jiù)直(zhí)接(jiē)换(huàn)掉(diào)了(le)。

   You park on the platform, it lifts up automatically, and the old battery underneath gets swapped out right away.

10. Xiaoyu

    这(zhè)感(gǎn)觉(jué)跟(gēn)躺(tǎng)在(zài)牙(yá)科(kē)诊(zhěn)所(suǒ)的(de)椅(yǐ)子(zi)上(shàng)差(chà)不(bù)多(duō)。

    This feels pretty much like lying in a dentist's chair.

11. Yating

    蔚(wèi)来(lái)在(zài)2026年(nián)2月(yuè)就(jiù)已(yǐ)经(jīng)完(wán)成(chéng)了(le)第(dì)1亿(yì)次(cì)换(huàn)电(diàn)。

    NIO already completed its 100 millionth battery swap back in February 2026.

12. Xiaoyu

    那(nà)第(dì)一(yī)百(bǎi)万(wàn)个(gè)或(huò)者(zhě)这(zhè)个(ge)一(yí)亿(yì)次(cì)的(de)幸(xìng)运(yùn)车(chē)主(zhǔ)有(yǒu)奖(jiǎng)励(lì)吗(ma)？

    So do the millionth or 100 millionth lucky owners get any kind of prize?

13. Yating

    在(zài)22点(diǎn)33分(fēn)18秒(miǎo)完(wán)成(chéng)的(de)，奖(jiǎng)品(pǐn)我(wǒ)倒(dào)没(méi)注(zhù)意(yì)。

    It happened at 22:33:18, though I didn't pay attention to what the prize was.

14. Xiaoyu

    不(bú)愧(kuì)是(shì)你(nǐ)，连(lián)具(jù)体(tǐ)秒(miǎo)数(shù)都(dōu)记(jì)得(de)清(qīng)清(qīng)楚(chu)楚(chǔ)。

    That is so you, remembering even the exact second.

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