Prof. Eric Cheng is a highly accomplished electrical engineer, having earned his BSc and PhD from the University of Bath in 1987 and 1990, respectively. Prior to joining the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 1997, he held the position of Principal Engineer at Lucas Aerospace in the United Kingdom, where he led several power electronics projects.

Prof Cheng is widely recognized for his significant contributions to the development of electric vehicles in Hong Kong. He is affectionately known as the “father of Electric Vehicle” in Hong Kong, having served as the electrical designer for the city’s first commercial electric vehicle and led his team in designing the first charging network. His expertise in electrical engineering, energy, and automotive has earned him numerous awards, including the Seoul International Invention Fair 2015 Gold prize for his contributions to super-capacitors for electric vehicles, the 2016 iCAN Gold Medal for his work on active suspension, and the Gold Award of Hong Kong Innovation and Technology in 2017. Additionally, he received the Geneva’s Invention Expo Silver Award for his work on the anti-lock braking system, the Top 20 Tera Award in 2021, and the Innovation Award of the TechConnect 2023 and Geneva’s Invention Expo Silver Award 2024 for his contributions to the development of an ammonia-powered fuel cell-based electric vehicle.

Prof Cheng is an accomplished writer and has published over 500 papers and 7 books, as well as given over 200 interviews with the media on his research and development. He is currently a professor of University of California, Merced, where his research interests encompass all aspects of Power Electronics, Power Quality, Renewable Energy, Motor Drives, Energy Storage, Energy Saving, Power Distribution, EMI, High-Speed Rail, Electric Vessel, Electric Vehicles, and advanced Automotive components.