Smart Charge: the driving force making life simpler for Hong Kong’s electric vehicle owners
- More than 11,700 electric vehicles are registered in the city, with only 2,242 chargers available for public use
- An increasing number of electric vehicle models are now roaming the streets of Hong Kong, of which around 50 models are private cars
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Inadequate charging facilities have been troubling current and potential electric vehicle (EV) owners in Hong Kong since the introduction of EVs to the city about a decade ago. According to the Environmental Protection Department, more than 11,700 EVs were on the roads of Hong Kong up to the end of April this year. However, there were only 2,242 public charging stations available, 40 per cent of which were equipped with chargers of relatively slow charging speeds.
There are usually long queues for public charging stations, or sometimes EV-charging lots are also occupied by non-EVs or fully charged EVs.
Smart Charge, a joint venture by HKT and CLP, understands the frustration of EV owners and offers a one-stop home charging solution.
“We believe an ultimate solution should be a personal EV charger at home that would allow EV users to simply pull the EV into their own parking lot anytime, plug in, and then wake up to a fully-charged EV every morning,” says Ringo Ng, Managing Director of HKT’s Consumer Group and Smart Charge.
“For those EV owners who don’t want to rely on public charging stations, installing a private EV charger may be the solution, and it does not necessarily have to be a complicated process.
“However, in Hong Kong, the vast majority of car owners park their vehicles in shared or communal multi-storey car parks with no dedicated power supply for EV charging. Therefore, the installation of a private EV charger is only possible where there are already pre-existing power provisions at the user’s own car parking lot or at a dedicated EV power source.”
Smart Charge assesses the feasibility of pre-installing electrical infrastructure at residential and office car parks on a whole-property level that could cater for the greatest number of EV owners, and makes use of intelligent network management technologies such as load management to achieve charging efficiency and safety.
“Smart Charge aims to offer the highest possible standard EV charging solution in all perspectives – safety, design, technologies and after-sales services,” Ringo says.
“We also provide regular maintenance checks and a 24/7 customer service hotline to maintain the high quality of our services.”
Depending on the type of buildings, Smart Charge is offering three types of charging solutions: the Monthly Subscription Plan designed for residents of multi-storey buildings, the Buy and Own Plan for EV owners living in a villa/village house who are interested in owning their personal charger; and the public charging service “Park and Charge”.
The monthly subscription service plans* cost HK$1,280 for 30 hours or $1,800 for unlimited hours#, which are currently available at selected car parks in various districts in Hong Kong, ranging from the Mid-Levels to Tsuen Wan. The service is being extended to more and more car parks. At present, Park and Charge is available to the public at car parks at PCCW Tower in Quarry Bay, Auto Plaza in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Pier Hotel in Sai Kung.
“Our one-stop solution addresses the entire process of EV charging, from engaging with property developers, BMO and IOC for pre-installing electrical infrastructure at car parks, to charger installation, maintenance and after-service,” Ringo says.
“Customers no longer need to undergo a lengthy and complicated process of liaison with different parties or make a huge investment for the construction of charging facilities. Instead, they can now enjoy hassle-free EV-charging service simply by subscribing to Smart Charge’s service plans at a fixed monthly fee according to their EV usage pattern and pay a last-mile charger fee for the installation of the EV charger.”
The number of Smart Charge private and public EV charging sites has grown to almost 30 over the past 30 months, with many more in the construction pipeline. Smart Charge is aiming to expand its charging network by covering large estates within Hong Kong.
In order to constantly enhance its services, Smart Charge works closely with the Hong Kong Productivity Council and its Automotive Parts and Accessory Systems (APAS) R&D Centre on the development and promotion of innovative EV charging solutions to support the charging of the maximum number of EVs and achieve energy efficiency.
“We see great potential in developing EV charging services to meet a real need for the increasing popularity of EVs, and we believe a robust and efficient charging network will make a significant contribution towards making Hong Kong a greener and smarter city,” Ringo says.
EV owners interested in Smart Charge’s services can call the 24/7 hotline on 2888 0088, or visit the company’s website.
* In addition to a monthly service fee, other applicable charges, including an installation fee, pre-payment for a month and a deposit, are payable. Installation of EV charger network infrastructure is subject to feasibility and approval from BMO and relevant parties (such as government departments). Service plans are subject to change without prior notice. Terms and conditions apply.
# Subject to “Smart Charge – Fair Usage Policy”. For details, please refer to Smart Charge’s website.