EV Show – Evolution of Vehicles Promotes Sustainable Living

Hong Kong, November 19, 2011 – Hopewell Holdings Limited (SEHK 54) and its subsidiaries have always been staunch advocates for low-carbon living. From today till tomorrow, the public will be treated to an extraordinary "EV Show – Evolution of Vehicles", which marks the opening of FUNtastic QRE Festival 2011.

The two-day show, held at Hopewell Centre Open Piazza at 183 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, is expected to attract not only a lot of electric vehicle enthusiasts but also those who are concerned about the environment. The show will continue from 10 am till 6pm the next day (Nov. 20).

One of the key features of "EV Show – Evolution of Vehicles" is simultaneously offering the public a rare glimpse of some of the world's most exquisite electric vehicles and the latest models available in Hong Kong, including the Nissan Leaf, which makes up part of Hopewell Holdings' company fleet, the Tesla Roadster Sport, one of the world's fastest electric sports cars, the smart electric drive, which is not yet available on the market, and the Toyota Prius Plug-in.  Two electric vehicles that are commonly used in police patrols – iMiEV and zero-emission motor bike Vectrix – are also on display.

In addition, the futuristic and environmentally friendly concept car "Cell" created by local multi-media artist Eric So, is also on display. He combined creativity with practicality and usability to come up with this energy-efficient concept car.

Three lucky winners (who won in a quiz held on-site) were given a quick spin around Wan Chai in a Tesla Roadster Sport by a professional driver to experience the ultimate pure green driving experience.

Officiating the kick-off ceremony were Undersecretary for Transport and Housing, Mr. Yau Shing-mu; Deputy Secretary for Environment, Ms. Vivian Lau Lee-kwan; Motor Transport Officer (Support Wing), Hong Kong Police Force, Superintendent Mr. Martin Cadman; Chief President of the Hong Kong Island Federation, Mr. Suen Kai-cheong; Executive Director of Hopewell Holdings Ltd, Mr. Albert Yeung; and multi-media artist Mr. Eric So.

Renowned Hong Kong University scholar and technology pioneer Professor Chan Ching-chuen, who is widely known as Asia's "Father of electric vehicles" was also present as a special guest to give the event a big boost.

As a corporate pioneer in environmental protection, Hopewell Holdings introduced the first hybrid vehicle into its fleet in 2006. In early 2010, the company purchased a Mitsubishi iMiEV pure EV, which was among the first batch of such vehicles available in Hong Kong at that time and applied for a cross-boundary license for it, making it the first local EV that could be used on both sides of the border.

This year, the company ordered the Nissan Leaf, making it the first company to purchase this model. Hopewell Holdings has worked relentlessly to promote energy efficient road transport initiatives. It has fitted its properties and managed car parks with 47 chargers for EVs. Among them, the parking facilities at Hopewell Centre in Wan Chai, Kowloon Bay International Trade and Exhibition Centre (KITEC), and Panda Place in Tsuen Wan are open to the public to provide 6 hours of free parking and charging services.

The car show is the first of a series of events in this year's FUNtastic QRE Festival. The show will continue the following day (Nov 20) from 10am till 6pm at Hopewell Centre Open Piazza, 183 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai.

"Cell" will be on display at the same venue until November 25.

Coming events of FUNtastic QRE Festival 2011 include:

The concept behind QRE Festival:

With the rapid development taking place in Wan Chai in recent years, many young professionals have been attracted to live and entertain in the neighborhood. Wan Chai, in particular Queen's Road East, is fast becoming one big melting pot with a mix of races and cultures, consisting of traditional and modern elements. Bearing witness to these trends, Hopewell Holdings hopes the QRE Festival can help residents and members of the public embrace change and grow with the community.