Bastille's Story: The Bright Future of Electric Vehicles in Hong Kong

The proportion of electric vehicles in Hong Kong has been on the rise in recent years. According to the Transport Department's data, the cumulative total number of new registered private cars in Hong Kong has reached 34,540 from January to September, with electric vehicles accounting for 71% (24,536 cars in total). The world's largest manufacturer of rechargeable electric vehicles, BYD (01211), has continued to hold the title of top-selling electric vehicle brand with the registration of 920 new cars. Mr. Liu Xueliang, the General Manager of BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division, has disclosed the company's plans during the interview with Bastille Post that not only might the automatic parking be launched next year, but also there is a chance to introduce ultra-fast charging technology in the future.

The free outdoor auto show, "BYD Hong Kong TechWeek" was held by BYD, Photo by Bastille Post

The free outdoor auto show, "BYD Hong Kong TechWeek" was held by BYD, Photo by Bastille Post

BYD's high-end brand: the YANGWANG U8, Photo by Bastille Post

At the free outdoor auto show, "BYD Hong Kong TechWeek" held earlier, the company showcased all the vehicle models available in Hong Kong, as well as its high-end brands: the YANGWANG U8 and U9, electric taxis (e6), and electric buses (B12D). Over a thousand citizens have been attracted to attend the auto show, with families being the majority. Mr. Liu pointed out that the penetration rate of electric vehicles in Hong Kong is quite high. As of now, BYD has launched eight vehicle models, with a total of nearly 20,000 delivered passenger vehicles. In the first ten months of this year, approximately 7,800 personal vehicles have been sold by BYD, with a market share of 25%.

Mr. Liu Xueliang, the General Manager of BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division, Photo by Bastille Post

BYD's high-end brand: the YANGWANG U9, Photo by Bastille Post

In 2022, BYD launched its first personal vehicle, "BYD ATTO 3". Within three years, eight new energy vehicle models have been unveiled. As for the "BYD ATTO 2" released in August this year, it can be regarded as one of the most cost-effective car models in Hong Kong. In Mr. Liu's eyes, such positive results are the fruits of full interaction between BYD and Hong Kong's market. "From SUV to MPD, our entire arrangement of the vehicle models for sale has met the demands of Hong Kong citizens for electric vehicles."

Residents can enjoy a free test drive. Photo by Bastille Post

Having entered Hong Kong's market for over 10 years, BYD initially aimed to achieve its electric industry scale from the aspect of public transportation, starting with releasing buses to the market. Mr. Liu pointed out that about 90% of the electric buses on Hong Kong's roads are produced by BYD nowadays. Within 10 years, BYD has successfully fulfilled its commitment to the Hong Kong market, allowing all citizens to enjoy the top-tier technology of the brand.

Mr. Liu disclosed that no new vehicle models would be introduced to Hong Kong this year. Besides, he also mentioned that, although the automatic driving assistance technology has not yet been installed in the vehicle models sold in Hong Kong currently, he still hoped the technology can be gradually promoted next year. In his opinion, the function of automatic parking is expected to be the one with the greatest chance of realization, "since it would be relatively simple in terms of technology."

As of now, BYD has launched eight vehicle models, with a total of nearly 20,000 delivered passenger vehicles. Photo by Bastille Post

Considering that the owners of electric vehicles would often suffer from the anxiety of charging and driving range, the authority has promoted the construction of vehicle chargers. As of the end of September this year, there have been approximately 15,578 major chargers for public electric vehicles in Hong Kong. Nevertheless, such a number is far less than the one of nearly 25,000 electric vehicles. In March this year, BYD launched the "Megawatt Flash Charging" technology in the Mainland. Installed with this technology, electric vehicles only need to be charged for 5 minutes to reach a battery range of 400 kilometers. When asked whether this technology would have the possibility of being introduced to Hong Kong, Mr. Liu said that the company is studying the actual situation of the charging network in Hong Kong. Opportunities would arise in the future, but there is no specific time point of introduction yet. He also pointed out that at present, BYD has carried out communication and dialogues with the government, private enterprises, etc., to explore the space for the improvement of the development network of electric vehicles in Hong Kong.

Mr. Liu said that the company is studying the actual situation of the charging network in Hong Kong. Photo by Bastille Post

The Hong Kong government has been promoting the use of electric vehicles and providing policy facilitation, such as launching the first registration tax (FRT) concession arrangement for electric vehicles, and the "EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme ", etc. Mr. Liu said that the penetration rate of electric vehicles in Hong Kong has continued to rise and is now among the top in the world, with policy support. As for the driverless technology, BYD holds an open attitude. Currently, BYD has launched a driverless bus project in Singapore. Mr. Liu stated that if there are any related demands in Hong Kong in the future, the company will introduce the most advanced technical solutions.

The electric taxi (e6), and electric bus (B12D), Photo by Bastille Post

ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — For high school senior Aliyah Pack, getting distracted during school is the norm. Kids in her Pennsylvania school district use iPads starting in kindergarten, switch to Chromebooks in second grade and get their own MacBooks in eighth grade.

Aliyah said she has difficulty focusing, and she finds it hard to concentrate when she’s learning from a screen. She’ll watch Netflix in class on her school laptop, hiding her earbuds behind her long, curly hair.

“It’s very hard to get into the mindset of being in school,” Aliyah said.

Aliyah’s mother saw her grades were falling and asked the school to take away her laptop. But she was told that wasn’t possible.

Across the country, parents are voicing concerns about excessive screen time in schools and lobbying educators to go back to pencil and paper. In places like Lower Merion Township, where Aliyah goes to high school, some are taking it even further. Over 600 people in the affluent Philadelphia suburb have signed a petition asking to preserve parents' ability to opt their children out of using digital devices during the school day. The public school district has pushed back, saying it’s not feasible to let hundreds of students opt out of technology that is essential to the curriculum.

At a meeting Monday night, school board members said they were considering many ways to respond to parental concerns about technology, but allowing opt-outs was not one of them.

“There is not an option for us to not have technology in schools,” said Lower Merion School Board member Anna Shurak.

The board was meeting to discuss updates to the district’s technology policies, including repealing a policy that allows opt outs. Over 100 people showed up to protest, many wearing buttons that said “Screens Down, Pencils Up.”

Many emphasized they’re not anti-tech — in fact, most parents agree that learning how to responsibly use computers is an essential life skill. They just don’t want tech to dominate the classroom.

“Teaching how to use technology is not the same thing as using technology to teach everything else,” said Sara Sullivan, a parent.

The debate in Lower Merion raises the question of whether technology has become so intertwined with learning that it’s impossible to opt out. Kids use devices to play educational games, submit their homework, access online resources and write essays — but parents are questioning the value of gamified edtech software.

Subashini Subramanian said the software her second-grade daughter uses for math, DreamBox, incentivizes rushing through levels to gain points. When she encouraged her daughter to think through the problems methodically, the 8-year-old said, “If I go through all the steps, it’s slowing me down. I have to click, click, click.”

At the school board meeting, many parents said they were exhausted from battling their kids over screen time. Adam Washington says his son struggles with screen addiction, so sometimes he takes away his phone or TV — only to find him watching YouTube on the school laptop instead.

“The screen is killing him. It is killing me, and him, together with our relationship,” Washington said.

Another parent at the meeting questioned what students would do instead of using their computers.

“Opting out is not a solution. It’s avoiding the hard work of finding a solution,” Seth Ruderman said.

The pushback on technology in the classroom has gained steam around the country. At least 14 states have proposed laws to limit screen time in schools, according to Ballotpedia, with four states — Alabama, Tennessee, Utah and Iowa — passing such legislation.

In Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest school district said it will ban screens until second grade, require daily caps for screen time per grade, ban YouTube and require an audit of all education technology contracts.

In Vermont, proposed legislation would allow not just parents but also teachers to decline to use classroom tech. Democratic State Rep. Angela Arsenault, a bill co-sponsor, said she’s responding to parents' worries about edtech.

“Parents in many districts and states just aren’t being listened to or not being heard when they ask that their students not be forced to use these products,” Arsenault said.

The Lower Merion school district said it’s listening to community concerns and has already made changes, including blocking some problematic websites flagged by parents.

“We have wonderful teachers who have continuously prioritized human interaction and relationships,” Superintendent Frank Ranelli wrote in a letter to parents. He declined to comment to the AP for this story.

The district said it is looking into possible changes, including stronger cellphone restrictions, not allowing the youngest students to take devices home and installing software to monitor students in class.

However, surveillance software can bring its own problems and poses risks to student privacy. In 2010, the Lower Merion School District paid $610,000 to settle lawsuits by two students who alleged the district had spied on them via the webcam on their school-issued laptops.

High school student Mia Tatar, 16, raised concerns at the board meeting that there’s been an unintended consequence to the anti-tech backlash. The internet filters on school computers are now so strict, she said she’s been blocked while doing research on appropriate topics for school, like breast cancer.

Mia said students need to learn how to responsibly use technology, and adding filters or getting rid of laptops won’t do that.

“It doesn’t teach kids how to hold themselves accountable and how to be responsible for regulating their own screen time once they’re in the world,” Mia said in an interview.

Her friend Elliot Campbell, 15, said there should be strict limits on screen use in the youngest grades, but students should get more freedom as they get older.

“If we lose our laptops or if we lose the partial freedom we have on them, it’s not going to prepare us for college,” Elliot told board members at the hearing.

Fellow high schooler Joaquin Imaizumi takes a different view. He said it’s “completely unfair” to expect children to regulate their usage of devices that even adults find addictive.

“This isn’t about learning to constrain yourself,” he said in an interview. “We don’t give someone drugs and say, ‘OK, now learn how to deal with this.’”

His biggest concern is that devices make it far too tempting to access AI tools like ChatGPT, which he sees eroding his classmates' ability to think for themselves.

“I’ve seen the atrophy of my peers’ thinking, which is existentially concerning,” Joaquin said.

The influence of AI starts early. A second-grader named Lillian Keshet, who got up to speak at the board meeting, said Google Docs will give her “suggestions” about what to write in class.

“I’m a pretty good writer by myself,” Lillian said. “I don’t need your suggestions, Google!”

Associated Press writer Jocelyn Gecker contributed to this report from San Francisco.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Elliot Campbell, 15, poses for a portrait after speaking at a Lower Merion Board of School Directors meeting at the Lower Merion School District Administration Building on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

Signs reading, "Screens down, pencils up," are seen a school board meeting at the Lower Merion School District Administration Building on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

Attendees clap during a school board meeting at the Lower Merion School District Administration Building on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

Members of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors speak with attendees at a school board meeting on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

An attendee wears a, "Screens down, pencils up," button during a school board meeting at the Lower Merion School District Administration Building on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)

Members of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors speak with a student at a school board meeting on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Ardmore, Pa. (AP Photo/Joe Lamberti)