Beijing, China, March 29, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NaaS Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: NAAS, "NaaS", the "Company"),a subsidiaryof NewLink, one of the largest and fastest-growing electric vehicle charging service providers in China, and Smart Order, a leading hotel information integration solution service provider in China, jointly announced the establishment of a joint venture, “Smart Charging”, to create a network of destination-sharing charging services for electric vehicles. Under this new collaboration, NaaS and Smart Order will leverage their respective advantages in charging station infrastructure, operational expertise, product technology, lodging networks, services, and more to upgrade the integrated charging services for commercial lodges. The joint venture was announced at the “Long Time No See” 2023 Smart Order Lodging Ecosystem Conference held on March 21.

The rapid growth of the lodging industry represents an opportune market for electric charging stations. In 2022, the number of lodging companies in China reached 135,300, an increase of 29.9% year-over-year. During the 2023 Spring Festival period, domestic bed-and-breakfast bookings more than doubled compared to the previous year. 

Furthermore, for eight consecutive years, China has maintained its momentum as the world's number one producer and seller of new energy vehicles. In 2022, the number of new energy vehicles in China reached 13.1 million, an increase of 67.13% year-over-year. The rising adoption of new energy vehicles and the growth of China's lodging industry naturally create a convergence in demand for a more robust destination charging infrastructure.

The Smart Charging joint venture provides a one-click charging station platform for China’s lodging industry. The service covers the installation, operation, and maintenance of charging stations. Moreover, the service simplifies deployment by providing customers with EPC contracting services, including planning, procurement, management, installation, commissioning, inspection, and flexible operation and management services. 

These benefits greatly lower the barriers to entry for lodging companies that adopt advanced charging stations at their facilities. Similarly, by providing access to charging stations, lodging providers can increase customer satisfaction by better meeting their needs.

Smart Order founder and CEO Shen Aixiang said: "The lodging industry also needs to embrace new energy. The cooperation between Smart Order and NaaS creates an innovative synergy that benefits both the new energy and lodging industries. By combining the resources and capabilities of our respective teams, service ecology, cooperative partners, and smart operations, we are positioned to drive the development of the lodging industry and offer greater convenience for users to replenish their vehicles with sources of new energy."

Li Xiuming, vice president of NaaS, said: "This year is the year of tourism recovery. This cooperation between NaaS and Smart Order will promote the development of China’s charging service industry, providing customers with better self-driving experiences and reinforcing NaaS's position as a destination shared charging service provider."

About NaaS Technology Inc.

NaaS Technology Inc. is one of the largest and fastest growing EV charging service providers in China. The Company is a subsidiary of Newlinks Technology Limited, a leading energy digitalization group in China. NaaS provides one-stop services to charging pile manufacturers and operators, OEMs, companies with their own delivery fleets as well as fleet operators, with online, offline, and non-electric services covering the whole value chain across the EV sector. As of September 30, 2022, NaaS had connected over 434,000 chargers with a total charging volume reaching 1,892 GWh in the first three quarters of 2022. On June 13, 2022, the American depositary shares of the Company started trading on Nasdaq under the stock code NAAS.

About Smart Order

As a leading hotel information integration solution service provider in China, SmartOrder provides hotel management system (PMS) services while meeting the industry’s diverse marketing needs to better serve their customers. Currently, SmartOrder serves more than 85,000 clients in over 200 regions worldwide.

About NewLink

We are the largest digital mobility energy operator in China with the largest gasoline-electricity integrated network. We serve and occupy 20% of China’s energy market. Our services include energy supply and consumption management, site selection, engineering, procurement and construction, brand licensing, energy procurement, SaaS system, station operations, upgrades, and expansion. Through digitization we improve energy utilization efficiency and reduce energy waste during transportation, aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 10% and promote green energy.