Green Transportation Forum a Highlight of Eco Expo Asia
HONG KONG, Oct 30, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - In the
space of just six years, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in
Hong Kong has increased significantly, largely on the back of
government support, new technology and greater awareness of
environmental protection as well as effective corporate marketing.
How does the EV industry embrace the business opportunities as well
as challenges? The Eco Expo Asia, which was held at the
AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong from 26 to 29 October, hosted three
sessions of the Green Transportation Forum on Friday (28 October).
The forum invited three industry experts to speak on the topics of
EV market, chargers and charging facilities, offering an overview
of the industry's development.
Fast growing EV market in Hong Kong
Speaking at the session on "The Smart EV Charging Solutions for the
Smart City", Dr Lawrence Poon, Principal Consultant, Automotive
& Electronics Division, Automotive Parts and Accessory Systems
R&D Centre of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, quoted
statistics showing the rapid increase of EVs in Hong Kong, from
just 242 in 2011, to 552 in 2013 and a huge jump to 4,198 in 2014
and 6,167 as of August 2016. He remarked, "Elon Musk, founder and
Chief Executive Officer of American EV maker Tesla Motors, has
named Hong Kong as one of the fast-growing EV markets worldwide, as
well as the best market for promoting the brand."
While the EV market is expanding, Dr Poon believed the increase in
the number of EV charging stations must also get up to speed in
Hong Kong. He also quoted statistics stating that there were only
180 charging stations in Hong Kong in 2010, though the figure rose
to 1,300 as of June 2016. Ninety per cent of the charging stations
are medium-speed (two-hour charging time for 0 to 100%), in
addition to about 70 high-speed charging stations (30 minutes).
He stressed that EV charging stations in Hong Kong are heading
towards the third phase. "The first phase was prior to 2012, when
charging speed was slow (e.g., 40 hours to fully charge Tesla Model
S); the second-phase, wall-mounted and medium-speed charging
stations use comparatively thin chargers that are reasonably
priced." As for third-phase high-speed charging stations, they are
relatively large in size, about one-third the size of a regular car
parking space.
Lightweight and high-speed charging solutions
Dr Poon predicted that the ratio of EVs will increase to between 40
per cent and 50 per cent of the total number of vehicles in Hong
Kong in the next 10 years. While the increase will create
significant demand for high-speed charging stations, it will also
present certain challenges. "Many buildings in Hong Kong were built
more than 10 years ago, and they have no allocated space for
installing an EV charging system," he noted. Apart from promoting
system upgrade, the Hong Kong Productivity Council has also
successfully developed a high-speed charger of only 150mm in
thickness.
He also noted that local energy company, CLP Holdings Ltd, also
offers free charging services in the Kowloon area of Hong Kong.
"The services are likely to become paid services in the future.
Therefore, CLP is already installing the electronic payment system
at the charging stations, and even looking into the development of
mobile EV charging stations."
Four selling points of smart ceiling EV charger
At the "Smart Ceiling EV Charger" session, Group President and
Founder of Hong Kong EV Power Ltd, Laurence Chan, noted that there
are about 1,000 wall-mounted charging stations in Hong Kong at
present. However, they also present a number of problems. "Firstly,
it is not safe to install distribution boards and conduits in car
parks. Secondly, there is the risk of floor-mounted cables being
run over by vehicles, which poses a potential hazard. Thirdly, it
is too costly to run the cables below the floor." In addition,
installation will be impossible if there are no walls or pillars in
the car park, he added.
In view of this, his company spent two years developing the smart
ceiling charger. Mr Chan explained that the charger is easy to
install and its operation is controlled by mobile app. "When the
unique password has been inputted into the mobile phone, the device
is connected to the charger via Bluetooth. The charger is then
lowered from the ceiling, and retracted to its original position
when charging is completed." He pinpointed that the installation
cost of the ceiling charger is lower than that of wall-mounted
models, and there are no restrictions on installation. In addition,
there is no risk of ceiling-mounted cables being run over by
vehicles, which also means longer lifespan of cables.
Government encouraged to offer rates concession
At the "Charging Facilities in Hong Kong" session of the forum,
Dick Seto, Deputy General Manager, Sino Parking Services Ltd,
remarked that in view of the rapid growth of EVs in Hong Kong,
local car parks need to expand their charging facilities. However,
this also poses a number of issues. "One issue is whether a car
park has sufficient electricity distribution for additional
charging stations. Even if there is sufficient electricity
distribution, the question remains whether the monthly tenants and
the car park will come to a consensus over electricity
distribution. In addition, while it is ideal for the charging
stations to be located near the electric switch room, parking space
owners may not be willing to swap their spaces."
Mr Seto mentioned that at present, property developers generally
reserve parking spaces for installing EV charging stations in their
new developments. He also believed that the government may offer
rates concession to encourage car park owners to provide charging
facilities in their properties.
The debut Green Transportation Forum is a highlight event of Eco
Expo Asia, which is jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade
Development Council (HKTDC) and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd. The expo
concluded yesterday at AsiaWorld-Expo.
Eco Expo Asia website:
http://www.hktdc.com/fair/ecoexpoasia-en/
HKTDC Photo Download Link: http://bit.ly/2eI0Cti
Press releases in Chinese at http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/
About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) celebrates its 50th
anniversary this year. The HKTDC is the international marketing arm
for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and services providers.
With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese
mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing
business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises
international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to
provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities
on the mainland and in overseas markets, while providing
information via trade publications, research reports and digital
channels including the media room. For more information, please
visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc,
LinkedIn.
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-council
Source: HKTDC
Contact:
HKTDC
Communication and Public Affairs Department
Joe Kainz
Tel: +852 2584 4216
Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org
Copyright 2016 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
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