BEIJING, China – The question of how to build a comprehensive network of public electric-car charging stations has often puzzled government officials and carmakers alike, both in the United States and around the world. For plug-in adoption to grow, most observers feel there must be plenty of public charging available to boost confidence—whether or not it actually gets used.

According to a report from the Associated Press, one Chinese Tesla Model S owner has decided to take matters into his own hands. Guangdong, China-based businessman Zong Yi is undertaking a campaign to build an "electric vehicle charging road" from Beijing to Guangzhou, according to a new report from China's Caixin Online (via MarketWatch).

Zong personally paid for the installation of 16 charging stations along the 3,750-mile route. He used social media to choose locations and query property owners about station installation. He estimates the total installation cost was twice that of his Tesla Model S, which starts at about $121,000.

While the network Zong is building is an important first step, it isn't perfect. The stations are compatible with non-Tesla electric cars, but their spacing — from 62 to 248 miles apart — leaves gaps that are too big for the electric range of most of the rest of today's plug-in cars.

Because they are 240-volt Level 2 stations — not the Supercharger DC fast-charging stations Tesla itself is working to install in China — Model S owners will also be in for a bit of a wait while they recharge. Drivers may at least get some free charging out of the deal. Zong himself won't institute a fee, although the owners of the parking spaces where the stations are located may. The prospect of driving an electric car between two of China's major cities without getting stuck, though, could be priceless.

For more on the future of electric vehicles and whether they present a threat or an opportunity for fuel retailers, read the Fuels Institute article “Battery Operated” in the July issue of NACS Magazine.