MyCar is Hong Kong's first home-grown electric car thanks to a joint venture between Polytechnic University and EuAuto Technology.
It is tiny, smaller in every dimension than a Smart ForTwo, so cute it's almost toy-like, perhaps something Postman Pat would dream of driving on his days off. Motoring around Kowloon, just about every other vehicle seemed intimidatingly big.
After a while, the upside of this smallness becomes apparent - it can go through gaps that only a motorcyclist would consider, and parking is a doddle, enhanced by its 3.9 metre turning circle.
There are no gears to change. The floor-mounted gear stick acts as a switch between forward and reverse. Press the accelerator and there is no feeling of acceleration, just a gradual gathering of momentum to beyond pedestrian speed.
However, it soon becomes clear that in Hung Hom's busy streets, the MyCar is in its element. Anything faster would be unnecessary. But fast is not an adjective applicable to the MyCar - although it has a claimed top speed of 64 km/h, by law it must stick to roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less. And the 3.7 kW (5 bhp) motor is unable to get the MyCar up to anything more than a 20 per cent (1 in 5) gradient. So going up Garden Road is out of the question, as is accessing Mid-Levels or above.
Despite having all-round independent suspension, the ride is choppy, hardly surprising with a wheelbase not much longer than that of a supermarket trolley. Roadholding is not a factor as the MyCar doesn't go fast enough, but the appeal of the MyCar not its performance or roadholding, it's that it is locally non-polluting and extremely economical to run. Some will say that electric cars are just as polluting as petrol-powered cars as the energy for both comes from fossil fuels. However, unlike conventional fossil-fuelled vehicles, electric vehicles can use power generated from renewable resources such as tidal, solar and wind energy. If a magic wand is waved and all Hong Kong's vehicles are transformed to electricity-powered overnight, air pollution in the city will practically disappear.
