Hong Kong is en route to becoming “the Norway of Asia”, according to Tesla Motors Inc, which is looking to expand its electric car market in the city and increase its local workforce to at least 100 people by the end of the year.
Norway currently accounts for six percent of the world’s battery-operated electric car market, supported by government subsidies to keep prices low and affordable.
Tesla says Hong Kong Island is the perfect place to promote electric vehicles, as with it being less than 10 miles (16 kilometres) wide, customers will only be required to charge their cars once a week.
Veronica Wu, Vice President of Tesla’s China operations, said: “We want Hong Kong to be the Norway of Asia. The Hong Kong government is very open to the idea of electric vehicles and very committed to supporting sustainability.”
By also appointing a country director for the city, Tesla Motors has hopes of slowly cementing and broadening its role beyond Hong Kong. “Hong Kong could potentially be the place to showcase the success of electric vehicles to the rest of China,” said Wu.
The car manufacturer, led by billionaire Elon Musk, aims to produce 100,000 premium electric cars by the end of 2015 and eventually sell at least 500,000 globally every year.
By expanding car dealerships, introducing its Model S in Hong Kong and China and increase charging stations in the city, Musk expects Chinese sales to match those of the USA by early 2015.
So, if we’re turning into the Asian version of Norway, does this mean we get some of their salmon too?
Photo: Michael Movchin via Wikimedia
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