2026 Green Transport Transition and Methanol EV Forum Held in Hong Kong

On June 17, 2026, the "Green Mobility Transformation Forum (Hong Kong) & Methanol Electric Vehicle Development Forum 2026" was held in Hong Kong. Organized by the China EV100 Research Institute and hosted by the Global Methanol Electric Ecosystem Alliance, the forum’s theme was “Advancing a Closed-loop Green Mobility System and Breaking New Ground for Methanol Electric Vehicles.” It brought together representatives from government, industry, academia, research institutions, and finance to discuss policy directions, industrial trends, technological applications, market implementation, and ecosystem collaboration. Zhang Yongwei, Chairman of the China EV100 Research Institute, stated that vehicle electrification is the top priority in green mobility transformation and outlined four key focus areas: promoting balanced development of electrification; exploring win-win cooperation models such as technology licensing and capacity sharing; advancing global standards alignment and mutual recognition of testing protocols; and prioritizing battery recycling to address the challenge of over 800 GWh of retired batteries globally by 2030. Dong Cheng, Associate Vice President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, noted that Hong Kong’s new energy vehicle development is transitioning from a single electric vehicle substitution model to a new phase featuring coexistence of multiple energy technologies and multi-scenario synergy. Methanol-electric vehicles, thanks to their practical feasibility and promising industrial outlook, are entering a window of opportunity. Shi Jianhua, Deputy Chairman of the China EV100 Research Institute and Dean of the China EV100 Think Tank Research Institute, introduced the progress and roadmap of the Global Methanol Electric Ecosystem Alliance. As China’s first global organization dedicated to the entire methanol-electric value chain, the alliance will prioritize real-world deployment of methanol-electric technologies, deepen ecosystem development, strengthen industry leadership, promote global collaboration, and accelerate scenario-based implementation. The first half of the forum focused on policy and trends. Academician Chen Qingquan of the Chinese Academy of Engineering emphasized that green mobility is central to combating climate change and achieving sustainable development, with methanol playing a critical role in closing the green mobility loop. He predicted that 2026 would mark the inaugural year for new energy commercial vehicles, highlighting methanol-electric vehicles’ advantages in safety, environmental friendliness, reliability, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness—making them suitable for buses, heavy-duty trucks, logistics vehicles, and marine applications. Fang Haifeng, Chief Expert at China Automotive Technology & Research Center, believes China’s methanol vehicle industry will accelerate over the next five years. He recommended strengthening policy guidance, establishing a robust green methanol standard system, enhancing energy infrastructure support, expanding application scenarios, and improving refueling network construction. Alex Doell, CEO of the Methanol Institute, highlighted four advantages for Hong Kong in adopting methanol fuel: proximity to the world’s largest methanol market, controllable costs, enhanced energy system resilience, and low retrofitting costs for existing gas stations. He stressed that energy transition should build integrated transportation energy systems tailored to urban characteristics. Cen Wenhui, Chief Operating Officer of Towngas, noted that methanol can be produced using renewable energy and integrated with electric technologies at the usage end, offering broad applicability across transportation, mobile power generation, maritime shipping, and aviation fuels. The second half of the forum centered on market readiness and implementation. Dr. Zhuge Chengxiang, Assistant Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, pointed out that China accounts for approximately 65% of global methanol production capacity. Methanol’s ease of storage and transport, along with the ability to retrofit existing gas stations, makes it well-suited to Hong Kong’s land-constrained environment. However, current high tariffs increase system costs by about 300%. If methanol for vehicles were exempted from taxation, methanol-powered buses would become the most cost-effective solution for decarbonizing public transit, potentially deployed alongside pure electric and hydrogen vehicles in mixed fleets. Fan Xianjun, CEO of Farizon New Energy Commercial Vehicle Group, stated that scaling up methanol production could replace nearly 30% of China’s oil imports, reducing external energy dependence. As a liquid new energy carrier, methanol offers convenient storage and transport, efficient refueling, and low retrofitting costs for existing fueling infrastructure. Wang Long, Chairman of the Greater Bay Area Financial Association (Hong Kong), forecast that diesel-powered heavy-duty commercial trucks—especially those used in cross-border transport—will be gradually phased out over the next one to three years. Methanol vehicles are poised for rapid market expansion, with the global methanol vehicle market expected to grow from USD 2 billion in 2025 to USD 40–50 billion by 2032, representing a compound annual growth rate exceeding 50%. Xu Weiyu, Head of Green Transport at the Advanced Energy and Smart Mobility Centre of the Hong Kong Productivity Council, emphasized that diversification of transport energy sources is an inevitable trend, and appropriate technological solutions should be selected based on specific modes of transport—maritime, air, land—and operational contexts. Concurrently with the forum, the “Hong Kong Methanol Electric Ecosystem Co-Creation Launch Ceremony” was held, chaired by Professor Yao Chunde of Tianjin University and Deputy Director of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s Expert Advisory Committee on Methanol Vehicle Promotion. This initiative aims to facilitate the local deployment of methanol-electric technologies in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and leverage Hong Kong’s strategic location to expand into international markets. Future efforts will focus on scenario implementation, industrial matchmaking, technical exchange, and resource sharing to establish Hong Kong as a benchmark for green mobility innovation. As a flagship annual event of the Global Methanol Electric Ecosystem Alliance, this forum further consolidated industry consensus, fostered cross-sector collaboration, and charted a new pathway for positioning Hong Kong as a hub for green mobility innovation and for taking China’s green mobility solutions global.