EV makers help to supercharge Hong Kong
Sparks of optimism about Hong Kong's electric vehicle (EV) market have been flying amid developments that have less to do with the cars than the systems for charging them.
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The city must plug into ways to develop charger and battery technology if it hopes to realise its plans for a strong green transport sector and build a reputation as an EV testing hub.
The biggest jolt was supplied by mainland Chinese carmaker BYD, the world's largest producer of hybrid and pure EVs.
On March 18, the Shenzhen-headquartered company unveiled a system that only needs about five minutes to charge cars with their new batteries enough to give such vehicles a range of 400km.
The BYD Super e-Platform runs at 1 megawatt peak power, about twice as fast as US carmaker Tesla's superchargers. The platform aims to eliminate 'charging anxiety' that has kept many internal-combustion car owners from swapping out for EVs.
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BYD's shares in Hong Kong jumped more than 6 per cent following the announcement.
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