London set revved up by electric car (hktdc.com)


	Chung Sin-ling with Hong Kong-made MyCar, seen as a solution to rising petrol prices

It's stylish, sporty and environmentally friendly. MyCar, the first automobile manufactured by a Hong Kong company, drew crowds at the British International Motor Show in London last month. Designed by famed Italian automobile designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, MyCar runs completely on electricity, targeting the environmentally conscious and petrol-price sensitive consumers.

According to Chung Sin-ling, CEO and General Manager of EuAuto Technology, Europe was the ideal place to launch the company's maiden product. "Europe is a pioneer in the use of electric vehicles." Ms Chung also pointed out that while the micro-car has been a well-established classification in Europe for the past decade, 99 per cent of the vehicles on the market, though, are run on diesel or petrol. The company saw electric vehicles (EVs) as an untapped niche, a projection that turned out to be prescient when fuel prices starting climbing in 2004. "Looking back now, it's easy to say that was the obvious move. But we didn't know back then whether it was. It was a bold move that paid off. "

Futuristic design

With initial funding from the Hong Kong Government, EuAuto Technology collaborated with Hong Kong Polytechnic University on the micro-car project in 2003, when it began as a diesel engine project. Two years later, the company took a gamble and decided that the technology was sufficiently mature for EVs to become the future. In 2007, a prototype was unveiled.

MyCar is a two-seater with a range of 100-120 kilometres in normal city driving. It comes complete with electric windows and mirrors, radio/MP3 player and remote central locking. It is made of fibreglass reinforced plastic on a steel tubular spaceframe with tubular roll-bar, and has disc brakes and independent front and rear suspension.

While MyCar is an obvious departure from the traditional EVs, such as golf carts, it is also vastly different from EVs produced by bigger rivals. According to Ms Chung, the EVs by major carmakers are electric versions of their original petrol counterparts, which means the weight of the vehicle itself does not lend to fuel efficiency. "To maximise the benefits of an EV, each component must be optimised – from the body of the car to the accessories – to ensure the vehicle is as fuel-efficient as possible. We're lucky to be pioneers in this regard."

Combined strengths

Leveraging on their expertise in the automobile parts and components industry, the Hong Kong investors saw entering the automobile manufacturing business as a natural next step. But the endeavour also needed to borrow expertise from abroad. That included enlisting the talent of Mr Giugiaro, who's an established brand in himself. Experts from Europe, North America and Asia were also brought in. Capitalising on the strengths of Hong Kong's marketing and project coordinating expertise, the Chinese mainland's low-cost manufacturing and Europe's design innovation, Ms Chung said, made the project a reality.

The United Kingdom, in particular, London, with its pro-environmentally vehicle friendly policies, now is the first stop for MyCar, a dozen of which will come off the assembly line next month. EuAuto aims to have around 1,000 cars on the market by next year. MyCar will also eventually be marketed in Paris and other European cities, but the manufacturer is also eyeing the Asian and US markets in the next couple of years.

The company said it has also received numerous inquiries from places as diverse as the United States, Israel and Iran. "EVs are not meant to replace traditional vehicles," Ms Chung said. "They're meant to complement regular cars for short commutes such as errands on the weekends. The Hong Kong company hopes to eventually sell its product back home if trends in Europe are any indication, suggesting that EVs may well become the vehicle of the future.