Hong Kong is emerging as a key market and testing ground for Chinese EV makers. Here’s why

Angus Au had set his sights on a Tesla model Y. But the 27-year-old Hongkonger changed his mind after test driving the Chinese-made MG ZS electric vehicle (EV). “It doesn’t matter so much to me [that it is a Chinese brand],” said Au.

“Even the Teslas you buy in Hong Kong are made in Shanghai. I look at the product, rather than where it comes from.” A total of 31 EV models from nine Chinese companies have been approved for sale by the Transport Department as of July 19, with prices ranging from HK$160,377 for Hozon New Energy Automobile’s Neta AYA Lite five-seater SUV to HK$619,190 for the SAIC Maxus Mifa 9 Premium multipurpose vehicle (MPV).

As there is a lot of competition among EV makers on the mainland, they may want to use Hong Kong as a stepping stone to enter overseas markets, said Wilson Lam, director of car distributor Zung Fu Group. “On the mainland, consumers have their own unique culture and styles that they prefer,” said Lam. “Vehicles designed based on preferences on the mainland may not fit those in Europe, the Americas and Southeast Asia.

These brands can make adjustments and improvements based on feedback from Hong Kong consumers.” “The idea is not just to build a factory in Hong Kong, it’s about building an EV brand for Hong Kong,” founder and chairman Soh Weiming told the Post in June. Hong Kong is an ideal incubator for an EV brand with an international perspective because the city is not only close to mainland China, where a compl.