(Yicai Global) Oct. 23 -- Beijing yesterday opened a new electric bus charging station in Shijingshan district that features 14 direct-current charging piles, making it the largest facility of its kind in the city, state-owned China National Radio reported on its website.

Each bus consumes 85 kilowatt-hours per round trip, and takes only 15 to 20 minutes to recharge, said a source at the State Grid Corp. of China.

The new station is also the first modular bus charging system featuring multiple floors in China, which reduces the necessary land area by about 35 percent compared with traditional charging facilities.

The modular design also shortened the construction period significantly and improves maintenance and operating efficiency.

Beijing currently has some 151,500 electric cars in circulation, making up 11.85 percent of the national total. It has constructed 825 charging stations with 10,370 charging piles, meaning a charging point can be found every five kilometers on average throughout the city. 

The capital has 1,300 electric buses in service in 11 districts and 23 operational bus charging stations.