The Environment Bureau (ENB) today (August 31) launched the International Competition on Second Life for Retired Batteries from Electric Vehicles (EVs) to help identify innovative and practical ideas for second-life applications of retired EV batteries.

     "Retired EV batteries still have 70 per cent to 80 per cent of their electricity storage capacity. They have immense potential for applications. The number of retired EV batteries is expected to increase as the popularity of EVs grows," an ENB spokesperson said.

     The Competition is divided into two Groups, the Open Group and the Student Group. The former is open to all whilst the latter is open to students up to and including secondary school level. For each Group, individual entry and group entry are welcome. The deadlines for registration and submission of entries are October 31, 2016, and January 31, 2017, respectively.
 
     Entries will be assessed based on three key aspects - "Originality", "Viability" and "Value & Impact" - by a three-tier assessment structure comprising a Shortlisting Committee (first tier), an Assessment Board (second tier) and a Judging Panel (third tier). The first two assessment tiers will shortlist from the entries five finalists for each Group for selection of winners by the Judging Panel. The Judging Panel comprises noted local and international experts from academia and the relevant industries.

     The finalists of the two Groups will be announced in May 2017. They will have to present their entries in person to the Judging Panel at a championship-cum-award ceremony to be held in Hong Kong on June 25, 2017. 

     A sponsored visit to green facilities in Germany will be awarded to the winners (the champion and the first and second runners-up).

     Details of the Competition are available on the website of the Competition: www.epd.gov.hk/epd/misc/2ndEVbattery/en/.

     EVs have no tailpipe emissions. Replacing conventional vehicles with EVs can help improve roadside air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been proactively promoting the use of EVs. Key measures include the Government leading by example, waiving the first registration tax for EVs, allowing enterprises which have procured EVs to have 100 per cent profits tax deduction for the capital expenditure on EVs in the first year of procurement, working with the private sector to set up public EV chargers, subsidising the trial of EVs by franchised bus companies and transport operators, and supporting interested parties to set up EV chargers by a dedicated team and a hotline (Tel: 3757 6222). As at the end of July 2016, the number of EVs in Hong Kong had increased to over 5 800 from less than 100 at the end of 2010, an almost 60-fold increase in less than six years.

Ends/Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Issued at HKT 12:32

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