Hong Kong sets up free charging stations for electric cars

Hong Kong inches a step closer to a green car revolution with the launch of charging stations for electric cars this week.

Electric cars owners can charge for free at 21 charging stations across the city through the end of next year. Afterward, it will cost HK$6 per 25 kilometers of travel -- a staggering 70 percent cheaper than the fuel costs for a petrol car, the South China Morning Post reported.

The news follows the launch of mycar, a toy-like electric two-seater that’s made in Hong Kong and hit the roads last month. The car’s top speed caps at 64km/h. The car costs HK$150,000 and is available for order on the mycar website.

Hong Kong’s not exactly at the tipping point for an electric car coup. Secretary for the Environment Edward Yau acknowledged to China Daily last month that it’ll take three to five years for local car manufacturers to take on electric vehicle building technology. No one’s yet dared to make predictions about the number of electric cars that will be on the road in the near future.

The launch of charging stations is great news for environmentalists. And, indeed, for anyone who’s braved the streets on one of Hong Kong’s murky high-pollution days. The Air Pollution Index hit a near-record high of 174 last month.