With its body designed by internationally renowned Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, mycar has obtained the World Manufacturer Identification (WMI) Code earlier this year and it went on sales in many European countries including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Austria and Denmark.
It is the first Hong Kong-developed vehicle which fully complied with European standards, and also the first home-grown vehicle to hit the international market.
This year mycar has successfully met the roadworthiness requirements stipulated by the Government’s Transport Department and has recently been granted the vehicle type-approval as a private car. It is now available for sale in Hong Kong on the condition of travelling on roads with a speed limit at or under 50km/h.
The NEV version of mycar available in the local market has also been on sales in the European market. It can travel a distance of 110km on flat roads and can reach a maximum speed of 64km/h. It requires six to eight hours to be fully charged, which can be done from any regular household socket. It is capable of running on the road for 20 km and takes only 1.5 hour to recharge fully again.
PolyU President Prof. Tong said at the ceremony, "PolyU prides itself on its quality application-oriented R&D and close ties with business and industry. The development of mycar has truly testified to the practical value and commercial potential of PolyU’s R&D pursuits. Not only does mycar go in line with the Government’s policy address in promoting the use of electric vehicles, but also turns over a new leaf in pioneering the advancement of Hong Kong’s automotive industry."
"Before EuAuto, no automobile manufacturing business has ever been developed in Hong Kong. It was a dream to build a micro car in Hong Kong back in 2003. To make this dream come true, we know we need and we do contribute our greatest effort to engage expertise around the world. With the magic touch of the famous Italian designer Mr Giugiaro on the styling, complimented with the research and expertise from our strategic partners, PolyU, with supports from various industry partners, government, mycar team expertise from around the world: Italy, France, UK, Canada, Australia, Philippines, China and Hong Kong. This product is now able to balance the European stylish design and good quality at an affordable price to customers all over the world. Our dream of having a home-grown electric vehicle has finally come true!" said Mr Sun, Chairman of EuAuto Technology Limited.
The environmentally-friendly, zero-emission mycar will be sold at HK$97,000. To promote the use of electric vehicles, the HKSAR Government has exempted the First Registration Tax Waiver. The annual license fee costs only HK$440.
Both PolyU and EuAuto attach great importance to the further advancement of mycar. Building on the success of mycar, the team will keep up with their research and development efforts to enhance its performance and seek to integrate advanced technology to build a better electric vehicle in the near future.
At the beginning of next year, lithium-battery-driven and upgrade versions of mycar will be launched. There will be a significant improvement for the vehicle in terms of mileage and speed, in order to meet the expectation of Hong Kong’s Eco-car drivers.
In addition to PolyU’s backup, mycar has received a funding of HK$2 million from the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission to support its further research and development.
EuAuto Technology Limited is a Hong Kong company, having been funded by Innovation and Technology Commission HKSAR Government. We specialize in design, development, manufacture and sales of environmentally friendly vehicles for global markets. Our first landmark project is mycar. The stylish design was originated by the world class designer – Mr Giorgetto Giugiaro. The electric driving system was co-developed with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Our team of expertise composes of professionals from Italy, France, Australia and local industries.
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a university with a proud and illustrious history. Formerly known as the Hong Kong Polytechnic, the Institution assumed full university status in 1994. The University prides itself on its quality application-oriented academic programmes and research and close ties with business and industry. It is the largest publicly-funded tertiary institution in Hong Kong in terms of number of students, with 28,000 full-time and part-time students, and a vast pool of more than 280,000 graduates.
www.polyu.edu.hk/cpa/polyu/main/main_e.php
