The BAIC Electric Car Competition chose a great venue for this first tour: Qinghai Lake, which is the largest lake in China. The race came to a close on the 12th of June, 2014, and was the first race to feature only electric vehicles. The competition was followed by a lakeside awards ceremony and concert.Among all the participants that were awarded, the BAIC cars stood out in many categories, especially the A5 EV which was awarded: Shortest Stopping Distance, Most Soundproof Vehicle, Best Maneuverability, Most Ergonomic Design, and also was named the Racers’ Recommendation. The A5 EV is targeted at the business market, and is known for its excellent driving performance, as well as its energy-saving technology. Indeed, government officials have already started driving it in order to be at the forefront of this environmentally-conscious trend.As for the A1 EV, it was awarded Best Acceleration and also received the prize for “Media Recommendation”. The A1 EV is targeted at the mass market and is considered to offer the pleasant driving experience among all the BAIC cars. most “BAIC has mastered the core technology of the new energy-efficient vehicles,” said Zhang Jian, Vice Manager of Beijing Automotive Group, “but the key to the future of the electric car industry is undoubtedly the battery. Qinghai Province has rich sources of lithium and is already developing advanced lithium battery technology.”

The Qinghai Lake race was also a unique opportunity to establish partnerships with Qinghai companies in order to better develop the province’s lithium resources. Zhang Jian made it clear that the goal is to improve together with local companies the way lithium is put to use, in order to encourage the steady development of the lithium industry, as well as benefit the growing alternative-energy vehicle market.