The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is investing up to HK$40 million to upgrade 30% of its total parking space with charging capability and related software support for electric vehicles (EV). The initiative aims to cultivate a sustainable commuting habit and supports emission reduction goals in the HKUST 2028 Sustainability Challenge.
HKUST is set to become the most EV-friendly university in Hong Kong with the completion of the EV charging infrastructure enhancement project, which will see approximately 360 parking spaces on campus fitted with medium EV chargers, providing an output power of no less than 7kW. The initiative not only supports the HKSAR Government's Roadmap on Popularization of EVs, but also accelerates opportunities to reduce emissions from University-owned vehicles and indirect emissions from commuting.
The enhancement project – commenced in 2022 – has already seen the installation of EV infrastructure to support over 150 EV chargers at staff quarters. Over the next four years, the project will continue to upgrade the power supply infrastructure, install a load management system and EV chargers in indoor and outdoor parking spaces across the Clear Water Bay campus. Four fast EV chargers were recently donated by BMW Hong Kong to the University and have commenced trial early this week.
“As a university committed to promoting and assisting in Hong Kong’s economic and social development, we strive to nurture a new generation who takes sustainability into consideration when tackling global challenges, and promoting a sustainable environment and lifestyle through cutting edge research and new technologies,” said Prof. PONG Ting-Chuen, HKUST Vice-President for Administration and Business.
“To foster a culture of eco-friendliness and to reach our goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, we are deploying EV charging as part of our long-standing commitment to electrify transportation and encourage EV adoption for commuting with lower carbon emission. By providing accessible charging options and expanding EV charging facilities, we help to create a greener future, support Hong Kong's carbon neutrality goals and promote the well-being of our community and the environment,” he added.
To encourage EV adoptions, the University currently provides free EV charging to its community but it may consider implementing a nominal fee after the completion of the enhancement project to cover electricity and maintenance costs.
The University will also introduce a smart parking management system powered by Edge AI Camera technology to enable license plate recognition and vacancy detection. The system will be fully integrated into the existing "HKUST Staff" mobile app to serve EV drivers by providing real-time information on the availability of charging stations and making reservations on the fast chargers, hence enabling efficient sharing of charging stations on campus. The same system will also prioritize some parking spaces for carpool drivers in future, helping to promote a more sustainable commuting habit through carpooling.
As part of HKUST 2028 Sustainability Challenge's strategy to promote reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, the system has been approved this week as a project of the “Sustainable Smart Campus as a Living Lab” (SSC) campaign in the seventh round of proposals by the University to be fast-tracked as a pilot scheme for larger implementation opportunities.
In addition to EV charging facilities, HKUST will continue to electrify its fleet of vehicles based on operational needs and market conditions. By April of 2024, over 30% of the University’s fleet are EVs, while the rest are low-emission hybrid vehicles.
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (https://hkust.edu.hk/) is a world-class research intensive university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. Over 80% of our research work were rated “Internationally excellent” or “world leading” in the Research Assessment Exercise 2020 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee. We were ranked 2nd in Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2023, and our graduates were ranked 29th worldwide and among the best from universities from Asia in Global Employability University Ranking 2023. As of September 2023, HKUST members have founded 1,747 active start-ups, including 9 Unicorns and 13 exits (IPO or M&A), generating economic impact worth over HK$ 400 billion. InvestHK cited QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021 to demonstrate the performance of five world’s top 100 local universities in several innovation-centric areas, among which HKUST ranked top in four engineering and materials science subjects.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Johnny Tam
Tel: 2358 8556
Email: johnnytam@ust.hk
Philip Kwong
Tel: 2358 6299
Email: philipkwong@ust.hk
