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3 November 2006 CUHK Develops Environmental Friendly Automobiles
According to Professor Xu Yangsheng, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, and the principal investigator of the project, the use of environmental friendly vehicles like electrical cars is a worldwide trend. But before electric vehicles and their charging stations become widely and conveniently available, the Hybrid Electric Vehicle will become the mainstream. To achieve both performance and environmental friendliness, the vehicle employs three major innovative technologies. First being the Series Hybrid Technology, which is expected to reduce fuel consumption by 30-40% and emission by 50-60%. The 4-wheels-steering (4WS) technology enables flexible movement of the vehicle even in the narrow and busy street of Hong Kong, making parking a lot easier and it significantly reduces parking space. The last technology is the 4-independent-wheel-drive technology (4WD). It strengthens the vehicle¡¦s climbing performance and reduces start-up acceleration time. In addition to the support of the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF), the project is accomplished through the active cooperation of all units including CUHK, government, industry and research units in Hong Kong and Mainland. Automotive parts and accessory systems is one of the five key areas of strategic research area supported by the SAR government. One of the industrial partner sponsoring the project , Shanghai Maple Automobile Co. Ltd., is planning to produce the Hybrid Electric Vehicle in about two years time. Please visit the website of the Centre for Innovation and Technology, Faculty of Engineering, CUHK at:
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