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Chris Lau

Our junior reporters recently went to the Volkswagen theme park at the AsiaWorld-Expo. There, they test-rode two Volkswagen prototype vehicles and learned more about electric car technology. Here they tell us all about their experiences.
Golf Blue-e-motion 
The Golf Blue-e-motion is an electric five-seater. It is quiet, emission-free and energy efficient. It is Volkswagen's most environmentally friendly vehicle to date.
Each Golf Blue-e-motion uses a lithium-ion battery with a maximum output of 115hp (horsepower). It needs to be charged only for three hours to have enough power for a 150km drive. In Hong Kong, where 80 per cent of drivers travel only about 50km a day, the Golf Blue-e-motion could be a perfect, green alternative to petrol-powered cars.
One of the hardest tasks in designing an electric car is to make it look cool. Size and weight also pose a challenge. Electric cars need to be small and light because electricity cannot generate the power provided by fossil fuel. But the Golf Blue-e-motion retains the elegant shape inherited from its previous petrol-powered version. It is a fully electric car without the usual turtle shell of other models.
Janet Tam, Henry Lui, Tayyab Shahzada and Rajinder Deol
The value of electric cars
Our planet has been suffering badly from air pollution. Cars are a major source of carbon dioxide emissions, which fuel climate change.
It's convenient to have your own car, but if it doesn't live up to emission standards, it can be very damaging to the environment. Petrol-powered cars not only worsen air pollution, they use up the Earth's petroleum reserves.
This is where electric cars come into the picture. Equipping cars with electric engines can ensure a more sustainable future. They create less pollution and help save the planet's resources. 
Samantha Lau
Touareg Hybrid SUV 
The VW Touareg Hybrid is powered both by an electric motor and a petrol engine. For short-distance driving, Touareg uses a rechargeable battery to power its motor, just like any other electric vehicle. But if the battery is running low or the car needs more power, such as during a steep climb, it relies on its internal combustion engine. 
One of the Touareg's special features is an eight-cylinder engine with low carbon emissions. Because of the electric factor, the SUV's emission and fuel consumption rates are equal to those of a standard four-cylinder five-seater. 
The Touareg can go as fast as 240km/h and get from zero to 100km/h in just 6.5 seconds. It has the same explosive power as other SUVs - but with lower carbon emissions. The car gives SUV lovers a brand-new, greener option.
Dorothy Tsang



New, greener ways of motoring