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American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla Motors announced today (September 25) that it has expanded its Hong Kong team to meet the company's long-term goal to provide sustainable transportation in the city.
Tesla Motors first set up its office in 2010 followed by a service centre in Tsuen Wan in 2011, together measuring 3,000 square feet. To cope with the growing demand for electric vehicles in the city and a workforce that increased from 10 to 50 people in the past three years, it recently moved to a new 10,000-plus-square foot office, also in Tsuen Wan. Vice President of Tesla's China operations Ms Veronica Wu said that the company's workforce will expand to exceed 100 people by the end of this year. The company has recently hired a country director for Hong Kong to head the rapidly expanding team.
Ms Wu said, "We're very much looking forward to further developing the Hong Kong market because it is unique and interesting. Geographically, it is a very small city, so customers only need to recharge their cars once a week basically, and that makes our products especially appealing. In addition, we appreciate the first registration tax exemption for electric vehicles in the city, and that also allows us to set a very competitive price in the market."
She added, "Hong Kong could potentially be the place to showcase the success of electric vehicles to the rest of Asia. 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. I think that Hong Kong will be a reference city in Asia Pacific in terms of electric vehicle use."
Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Mr Charles Ng congratulated Tesla Motors on its expansion. He said, "Hong Kong's role as a premium business centre in Asia is multifaceted. On the one hand, we have recently seen an increasing number of small entrepreneurs coming to our city to start and expand their businesses globally. On the other, big players like Tesla continue to leverage our unique business advantages and set up their presence in our city. I am happy to see this dual trend continue."
About Tesla Motors
Headquartered in California, Tesla Motors was founded in 2003 by a group of Silicon Valley engineers who set out to prove that electric vehicles could overcome recharging and low-speed problems. It uses proprietary technology, world-class design and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes to create a new generation of highway-capable electric vehicles. It employs over 6 000 staff with more than 125 stores and service locations in 37 countries. For more information, please visit www.teslamotors.com.
About Invest Hong Kong
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established in July 2000 to attract foreign direct investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kong's vibrant economy. As at June 2014, InvestHK had completed over 3 300 investment projects creating more than 36 400 new jobs in the first year of operation or expansion and over HK$88 billion of investment. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
For an event photo, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/sets/72157647552941037/.
Ends/Thursday, September 25, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:51
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