Electric vehicles: China’s GAC Aion shifts up a gear in Hong Kong with ambitious sales target, new models in pipeline

“Together with the quality of the GAC brand and car models that can match the demands of the Hong Kong market, there is a definite possibility that we can meet this target.”

He said GAC Aion’s plan to bring more electric car models to Hong Kong was in line with the government’s decarbonisation road map for the city to attain zero vehicular emissions by 2050.

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The government outlined plans three years ago to encourage the uptake of EVs, with a target to stop registering new petrol and petrol-electric hybrid vehicles by 2035.

Hong Kong had 91,633 registered plug-in EVs as of April, a 68 per cent increase from a year ago, according to data from the Transport Department. EVs account for 14 per cent of the city’s private cars.

GAC Aion first entered the Hong Kong market with the launch of its first vehicle, the Aion Y Plus, in the city at the end of January.

More than 100 of the 5-seat pure-electric sport-utility vehicle have been sold in the city so far, according to Cheung.

The EV maker unveiled its first showroom in Kowloon Bay in January, and aims to open four more by the end of the year, Cheung said.

GAC has two new models planned for Hong Kong this year. It hopes to offer the Hyper HT, a luxury five-seat SUV with gull-wing door design, to the city’s motorists in the third quarter.

And in the three months after that, it plans to introduce its seven-seat plug-in hybrid, the Trumpchi E9.

“This year, we will set up Hong Kong as our window to overseas markets,” said Wayne Wei, general manager of GAC International at the launch event. He said the carmaker would bring in more talent and resources to consolidate its business in the city.

“We will holistically increase the quality of our products, brands, sales and service in the Hong Kong market,” said Wei.