An exhibition entitled “Apollo Showcase” will be held at MGM Cotai’s theatre from tomorrow until Sunday, which showcases the concept cars EVision S and the Project Evo from the Apollo Future Mobility Group.
Speaking about the company and the exhibition, Eric Ho King Fung, the chairman and executive director of the company, told The Macau Post Daily in the VIP Room of the MGM Theatre yesterday that the “main objective of showing people the car is not to sell cars, [but] it is for them to see the nature of the vision or mission of Apollo.” Ho added that he wants “to show people what Apollo is, what are our beliefs and what are our qualities, instead of selling cars.”
After acquiring Apollo Automobil, the company was rebranded in 2019. The company has a number of investments and subsidiaries to eventually create an ecosystem and “acquire more technologies to enhance their platform”, including US-based “Divergent 3D” and “EV Power”, which Ho said is the “first and largest EV charging company in Hong Kong” that operates in 28 cities [in the mainland] and 40,000 charging stations. The company is also responsible for reviving the Apollo brand as well as launching the acclaimed Apollo IE Hypercar. The company has taken its cars to exhibitions in Shanghai at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and in Hong Kong last year, where they received praise and recognition.
With the exhibition of two new concept cars, Ho said that although the company is listed in Hong Kong, it is managed and owned by Macau residents. Ho said, “I think it is only fair for me to bring the cars to Macau, to its home, before we go to Hong Kong”, referring to the next the exhibition. Ho further elaborated that a lot of people in the city do not know much about the brand and hopes the exhibition can allow people to learn more about it and that it “is part of Macau and that it is something that they can be proud of”, also saying that Macau companies and citizens can excel and that “if they have a dream, they can achieve it”.
Aside from also featuring an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powered car with its Project Evo, the successor to the Apollo IE Hypercar, Ho recounted a time where during the China International Import Expo (CIIE), Shanghai Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee Secretary Li Qiang asked them if they had plans to move on to creating electronic vehicles, to which he addid that there was room in the country for a more advanced electric vehicle. “This year, we set up a joint venture with the Shanghai government, “50/50, owned by us and them, to launch a new model of an electric vehicle under the Apollo brand”, leading to the concept car EVision S, a four-seater sports coupe. Ho pointed out that the car is only a model, adding that they are still trying to understand the “Chinese taste” and will use this year for market research.
Ho also spoke about the relevance of electric cars. “I think electric cars will be part of the world, whether we like it or not, it is only a matter of time”, adding that “electric cars will be the future of mobility.” When asked whether Macau would be ready for electric vehicles, Ho said “I think Macau is the best place to adopt EVs”, noting the city’s favourable size as it would not require the electric vehicles to be constantly charged. However, he noted that though there is interest in EVs, perhaps the lack of people converting to them is due to the current lack of EV options and facilities such as charging stations, and its size when considering heavy infrastructure. However, he noted the potential of electric public transport, as well as trusting that the government does its best in “finding ways to make the city better and more convenient for its citizens and tourists”.
This photo provided by the Apollo Future Mobility Group shows Eric Ho King Fung, chairman and executive director of the company, posing between the concept cars Project Evo (right) and the Evision S.
This photo provided by the Apollo Future Mobility Group shows Eric posing with his company’s Project EVO concept car, the successor to the Apollo IE Hypercar.
