Schneider Electric is expanding its electric vehicles (EV) charging network in Hong Kong, forging a partnership with real estate developer Sino Group to install over 420 EV chargers at its Grand Central and YM property, which now becomes the largest charging facility in East Kowloon.
With handover to apartment owners starting in May 2021, Grand Central - the new landmark in Kowloon East - together with the adjacent YM2, bring to the community a 100% EV-empowered carpark with a mix of over 420 Schneider Electric's semi-fast and fast-charging stations. In addition to making EV charging more accessible and convenient for its residents and the Kwun Tong community, Sino is committed to contributing to the city's carbon neutrality.
"Sustainability is integral to Sino Group's every day operations. We are delighted to join hands with Schneider Electric to promote the use of EVs, as well as the smart mobility development in Hong Kong,” said Gordon Lee, Executive Director of Sino Group.
He said the strategic partnership with Schneider Electrics shows Sino Group's commitment to sustainability, in line with its Sustainability Vision 2030 that sets a clear direction for sustainability to be embraced across the group's cross-functional operations.
“Earlier in June, Sino Land has also joined the global pledge to support the Business Ambition for 1.5°C, a United Nations -led campaign calling on businesses to set science-based targets aimed at limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to strive for net zero carbon by 2050," Lee said.
Going from global to local in empowering sustainable mobility
in alignment with its commitment to driving sustainability with innovations and support of the Hong Kong SAR government's roadmap to popularise EVs and its long-term vision in empowering sustainable transport. Currently, Schneider Electric had already installed over 1,700 EV chargers covering 53 locations in Hong Kong.
"Moving forward with our commitment to build a net-zero carbon world, Schneider Electric has been taking the lead in promoting sustainable transport by offering best-in-class EV charging solutions to fulfil the needs of the next generation of smarter and cleaner mobility. In Hong Kong, we are happy to see the number of EVs grown by more than 100 times in the last decade," said Jonathan Chiu, president of Schneider Electric Hong Kong,
He pointed out that expanding the company’s EV charging network aligns well with the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles.
“As the demand for EVs is expected to be on the up, we are committed to progressing fast to support this initiative with our industry-leading innovations. Through close collaborations with all stakeholders, we aim to further boost our EV charging network by offering 15,000 EV chargers across the territory in 2025, with the hope of bringing more convenience to the EV community and making our city more sustainable."
Strong commitment to empowering sustainable mobility from global to local
Schneider Electric has more than 150,000 EV chargers sold in 50 countries. Last year, it joined the Climate Group's EV100 initiative to launch a Green Fleet policy which aims to replace 100% of its car fleet with electric vehicles by 2030.
In Hong Kong, the company expects to significantly extend its EV footprint in Hong Kong to cover more than 15,000 EV chargers in 2025. Its goal is to further popularise the use of EVs and support the growth of green transport infrastructure by providing convenient charging facilities for EV drivers.
Currently, Schneider Electric had already installed over 1,700 EV chargers covering 53 locations in Hong Kong. It is striving to empower the EV network by installing their EV charging stations across numerous locations in the city, ranging from commercial buildings and shopping malls to residential estates, hospitals and the airport. To reaffirm its support for local EV drivers, Schneider Electric has recently added 7 new locations to Google Maps, including Lohas Park 6, Wings at Sea, MALIBU at Lohas Park, One Pacific Centre at Kwun Tong, as well as Novum Place in Shek Tong Tsui.
New smart charging infrastructure steps up a cost-effective and sustainable operation
The growth of EV market has EV market has major implications for carpark operators, facility management companies and landlords – such as Sino Group – who are searching for ways to achieve greater control over the energy management within their properties. For one, adding an EV charging infrastructure increases the electricity demand of a building.
Schneider Electric addresses this challenge by developing its EVlink Load Management System, an intelligent EV charging infrastructure designed to optimise the use of energy in a cost-effective and sustainable operation.
With EVlink Load Management System, the charging infrastructure owners or operators can monitor, control and maximise the EV charging more efficiently based on real-time available power in the property.
By leveraging the existing power infrastructure, the EVlink load management system gives flexibility to respond to an increase in demand and the EV charging stations can be installed without the need to upgrade the existing electrical devices in the building, while the system reduces costs and makes the most of their existing available power and ensuring building power availability. The system can adapt and limit the load dedicated to EV charging installations, define on-peak and off-peak time-of-use periods to optimize EV charging and avoid facility disruption and operating losses.
Schneider Electric's EV charging solutions are made in France and are compatible with all models with IEC, SAE and CHAdeMO standards in the EV market. With the certification of Green Premium, these EV chargers are recognised with the efficient use of energy and natural resources, optimisation of the total cost of ownership of customers' assets, regulatory compliance and strong value propositions through third-party labels and services.
