| Summary of significant accounting policies (Policies) | 3 Months Ended |
| Mar. 31, 2016 |
| Summary of significant accounting policies [Abstract] | |
| Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Basis of presentation The accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements as of March 31, 2016 and for the three ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Certain information and disclosures, which are normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP), have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. The interim financial information should be read in conjunction with the Financial Statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, previously filed with the SEC on March 29, 2016. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (which include normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present a fair presentation of the Company’s consolidated financial position as of March 31, 2016, its consolidated results of operations and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, as applicable, have been made. The interim results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the operating results for the full fiscal year or any future periods. |
| Consolidation, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Principles of consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Highpower and its subsidiaries. All significant inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Non-controlling interests represent the equity interest in the GZ Highpower that is not attributable to the Company. |
| Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Use of estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant items subject to such estimates and assumptions include revenues; the allowance for doubtful receivables; recoverability of the carrying amount of inventory; fair values of financial instruments; and the assessment of deferred tax assets or liabilities. These estimates are often based on complex judgments and assumptions that management believes to be reasonable but are inherently uncertain and unpredictable. Actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. |
| Concentration Risk, Credit Risk, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Concentrations of credit risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist principally of accounts receivable. The Company extends credit based on an evaluation of the customer’s financial condition, generally without requiring collateral or other security. In order to minimize the credit risk, the management of the Company has delegated a team responsible for determining credit limits, credit approvals and other monitoring procedures to ensure that follow-up action is taken to recover overdue debts. Further, the Company reviews the recoverable amount of each individual trade debt at each balance sheet date to ensure that adequate impairment losses are made for irrecoverable amounts. In this regard, the management of the Company considers that the Company’s credit risk is significantly reduced. No customer accounted for 10% or more of total sales during the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015. There was one major supplier that accounted for 14.4 There was one major customer that accounted for 11.5 11.3 |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Cash Cash include all cash and deposits in banks with initial maturities of three months or less. |
| Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Restricted cash Restricted cash include time deposits and cash security for bank acceptance bills included in notes payable. |
| Receivables, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Accounts receivable Accounts receivable are stated at the original amount less an allowance for doubtful receivables, if any, based on a review of all outstanding amounts at period end. An allowance is also made when there is objective evidence that the Company will not be able to collect all amounts due according to the original terms of the receivables. Bad debts are written off against the allowance after all collection efforts have ceased. The Company extends unsecured credit to customers in the normal course of business and believes all accounts receivable in excess of the allowances for doubtful receivables to be fully collectible. The Company does not accrue interest on trade accounts receivable. |
| Finance, Loans and Leases Receivable, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Notes receivable Notes receivable represent banks’ and commercial acceptances that have been arranged with third-party financial institutions by certain customers to settle their purchases from us. These banks’ acceptances are non-interest bearing and are collectible within one year. |
| Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Inventories Inventories are stated at lower of cost or market. Cost is determined using the weighted average method. Inventory includes raw materials, packing materials, consumables, work in progress and finished goods. The variable production overhead is allocated to each unit of production on the basis of the actual use of the production facilities. The allocation of fixed production overhead to the costs of conversion is based on the normal capacity of the production facilities. |
| Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Property, plant and equipment Property, plant and equipment, net are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Cost represents the purchase price of the asset and other costs incurred to bring the asset into its existing use. Maintenance, repairs and betterments, including replacement of minor items, are charged to expense; major additions to physical properties are capitalized. Depreciation of property, plant and equipment is provided using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives at the following annual rates: Buildings 2.5% -5 % Furniture, fixtures and office equipment 20 % Leasehold improvement Shorter of the remaining lease terms or estimated useful lives Machinery and equipment 10 % Motor vehicles 20 % Upon sale or disposal, the applicable amounts of asset cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and the net amount less proceeds from disposal is charged or credited to income. Construction in progress represents capital expenditures for direct costs of construction or acquisition and design fees incurred, and the interest expenses directly related to the construction. Capitalization of these costs ceases and the construction in progress is transferred to the appropriate category of property, plant and equipment when substantially all the activities necessary to prepare the assets for their intended use are completed. Construction in progress is not depreciated. |
| Land Use Rights [Policy Text Block] | Land use rights Land use rights represent payments for the rights to use certain parcels of land for a certain period of time in the PRC. Land use rights are carried at cost and charged to expense on a straight-line basis over the period the rights are granted. |
| Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Intangible Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Other assets Other assets represent a royalty-bearing, non-exclusive license to use certain patents owned by an unrelated party ("License Provider"), to manufacture rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries for portable consumer applications (“Consumer Batteries”) in the PRC, and a royalty-bearing, non-exclusive worldwide license to use certain patents owned by License Provider to manufacture, sell and distribute Consumer Batteries. The value of the licenses was established based on historic acquisition costs. An exclusive proprietary technology contributed by the four founding management members of GZ Highpower in exchange for the paid-in capital of GZ Highpower is recorded at the four management members’ historical cost basis of $nil. |
| Revenue Recognition, Deferred Revenue [Policy Text Block] | Government grants Government grants are recognized when received and all the conditions for their receipt have been met. Specifically, government grants whose primary condition is that the Company should purchase, construct or otherwise acquire non-current assets is recognized on the consolidated balance sheet as deferred income and subsequently deducted in calculating the carrying amount of the related asset after the purchase, construction or acquisition completed. As of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the Company recorded deferred income of $ 861,369 879,944 Government grants for the purpose of giving immediate financial support to the Company by local government are recognized as other income when received. In the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, $ 6,669 109,295 |
| Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Revenue recognition The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, the sales price is fixed or determinable, delivery of the product has occurred, title and risk of loss have transferred to the customers and collectability of the receivable is reasonably assured. The majority of domestic sales contracts transfer title and risk of loss to customers upon receipt. The majority of oversea sales contracts transfer title and risk of loss to customers when goods were delivered to the carriers. Revenue is presented net of any sales tax and value added tax. The Company does not have arrangements for returns from customers and does not have any future obligations directly or indirectly related to product resale by customers. The Company has no sales incentive programs. |
| Cost of Sales, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Cost of sales Cost of revenues consists primarily of material costs, employee compensation, depreciation and related expenses, which are directly attributable to the production of products. Write-down of inventories to lower of cost or market is also recorded in cost of revenues. |
| Research and Development Expense, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Research and development Research and development expenses include expenses directly attributable to the conduct of research and development programs, including the expenses of salaries, employee benefits, materials, supplies, and maintenance of research equipment. All expenses associated with research and development are expensed as incurred. |
| Advertising Costs, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Advertising Advertising, which generally represents the cost of promotions to create or stimulate a positive image of the Company or a desire to buy the Company’s products and services, is expensed as incurred. No significant advertising expense was recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015. |
| Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block] | Share-based compensation The Company recognizes compensation expense associated with the issuance of equity instruments to employees for their services. The fair value of the equity instruments is estimated on the date of grant and is expensed in the financial statements over the vesting period. The input assumptions used in determining fair value are the expected life, expected volatility, risk-free rate and the dividend yield. Share-based compensation associated with the issuance of equity instruments to non-employees is measured at the fair value of the equity instrument issued or committed to be issued, as this is more reliable than the fair value of the services received. The fair value is measured at the earlier of date that the commitment for performance by the counterparty has been reached or the counterparty's performance is complete. |
| Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Income taxes The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred income taxes are recognized for the tax consequences in future years of differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their financial reporting amounts at each period end based on enacted tax laws and statutory tax rates, applicable to the periods in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established, when necessary, to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. |
| Income Tax Uncertainties, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Uncertain tax positions The Company accounts for uncertainty in income taxes using a two-step approach to recognizing and measuring uncertain tax positions. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained on audit, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon settlement. The Company classifies the liability for unrecognized tax benefits as current to the extent that the Company anticipates payment (or receipt) of cash within one year. Interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions are recognized and recorded as necessary in the provision for income taxes. There were no uncertain tax positions as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015. |
| Comprehensive Income, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Comprehensive loss Recognized revenue, expenses, gains and losses are included in net income or loss. Although certain changes in assets and liabilities are reported as separate components of the equity section of the consolidated balance sheet, such items, along with net income or loss, are components of comprehensive income or loss. The components of other comprehensive income or loss are consisted solely of foreign currency translation adjustments, net of the income tax effect. |
| Foreign Currency Transactions and Translations Policy [Policy Text Block] | Foreign currency translation and transactions Highpower’s functional currency is the United States dollar ("US$"). HKHTC's functional currency is the Hong Kong dollar ("HK$"). The functional currency of the Company’s subsidiaries in the PRC is the Renminbi ("RMB"). Most of the Company’s oversea sales are priced and settled with US$. At the date a foreign currency transaction is recognized, each asset, liability, revenue, expense, gain, or loss arising from the transaction is measured initially in the functional currency of the recording entity by use of the exchange rate in effect at that date. The increase or decrease in expected functional currency cash flows upon settlement of a transaction resulting from a change in exchange rates between the functional currency and the currency in which the transaction is denominated is recognized as foreign currency transaction gain or loss that is included in determining net income for the period in which the exchange rate changes. At each balance sheet date, recorded balances that are denominated in a foreign currency are adjusted to reflect the current exchange rate. The Company’s reporting currency is US$. Assets and liabilities of HKHTC and the PRC subsidiaries are translated at the current exchange rate at the balance sheet dates, revenues and expenses are translated at the average exchange rates during the reporting periods, and equity accounts are translated at historical rates. Translation adjustments are reported in other comprehensive income. |
| Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Segment Reporting The Company uses the “management approach” in determining reportable operating segments. The management approach considers the internal organization and reporting used by the Company's chief operating decision maker for making operating decisions and assessing performance as the source for determining the Company's reportable segments. The Company’s reportable segments are based on products, geography, legal structure, management structure, or any other manner in which management disaggregates a company. Therefore the Company categorizes its business into three reportable segments, namely (i) Lithium Batteries; (ii) Ni-MH Batteries; and (iii) New Material. |
| Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Fair value of financial instruments The carrying values of the Company’s financial instruments, including cash, restricted cash, trade and other receivables, deposits, trade and other payables and bank borrowings, approximate their fair values due to the short-term maturity of such instruments. The Company defines fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurements for assets and liabilities required or permitted to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact and it considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability. The Company establishes a fair value hierarchy that requires maximizing the use of observable inputs and minimizing the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. A financial instrument’s categorization within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The Company measures fair value using three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value: -Level 1 applies to assets or liabilities for which there are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. -Level 2 applies to assets or liabilities for which there are inputs other than quoted prices included within Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets; quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in markets with insufficient volume or infrequent transactions (less active markets); or model-derived valuations in which significant inputs are observable or can be derived principally from, or corroborated by, observable market data. -Level 3 applies to assets or liabilities for which there are unobservable inputs to the valuation methodology that are significant to the measurement of the fair value of the assets or liabilities. |
| Warrant Liabilities Policy [Policy Text Block] | Warrant Liabilities For warrants that are not indexed to the Company’s stock, the Company records the fair value of the issued warrants as a liability at each balance sheet date and records changes in the estimated fair value as a non-cash gain or loss in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income. The fair values of these warrants have been determined using the Black-Scholes pricing model. The Black-Scholes pricing model provides for assumptions regarding volatility, call and put features and risk-free interest rates within the total period to maturity. These values are subject to a significant degree of judgment on the part of the Company. |
| Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Loss per share Basic loss per share is computed by dividing loss attributable to holders of common shares by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) reflect the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common shares were exercised or converted into common shares. Potential dilutive securities are excluded from the calculation of diluted EPS in loss periods as their effect would be anti-dilutive. |
| New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block] | Recently issued accounting pronouncements In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, or ASU 2014-09. This new standard will replace all current U.S. GAAP guidance on this topic and eliminate all industry-specific guidance. The new revenue recognition standard provides a unified model to determine when and how revenue is recognized. The core principle is that a company should recognize revenue to correlate with the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration for which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In July 2015, the FASB voted to defer the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year, while allowing a company to adopt the new revenue standard early but not before the original effective date. This guidance will be effective as to us on January 1, 2018 and can be applied either retrospectively to each period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. In April 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, or ASU 2016-10. These new standards will identify performance obligations. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2014-09 on our consolidated financial statements. In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, Income Taxes (Topic 740). To simplify the presentation of deferred income taxes, the amendments in this Update require that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The amendments in this Update apply to all entities that present a classified statement of financial position. The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by the amendments in this Update. For public business entities, the amendments in this Update are effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. Earlier application is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory. Under this ASU, inventory will be measured at the “lower of cost and net realizable value” and options that currently exist for “market value” will be eliminated. The ASU defines net realizable value as the “estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation.” No other changes were made to the current guidance on inventory measurement. ASU 2015-11 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early application is permitted and should be applied prospectively. The Company plans to early adopt this standard beginning with the 2016 fiscal year, but does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or related disclosures. On February 25, 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). It requires that a lessee recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from operating leases. A lessee should recognize in the statement of financial position a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term. For leases with a term of 12 months or less, a lessee is permitted to make an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset not to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities. In transition, lessees and lessors are required to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach. Public business entities should apply the amendments in ASU 2016-02 for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years (i.e., January 1, 2019, for a calendar year entity). Early application is permitted for all public business entities and all nonpublic business entities upon issuance. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2016-02 on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, CompensationStock Compensation (Topic 718). Under this update, share-based payment transactions simplified several aspects of the accounting, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. Some of the areas for simplification apply only to nonpublic entities. For public business entities, the amendments in this Update are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted for any entity in any interim or annual period. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2016-09 on our consolidated financial statements. We do not believe other recently issued but not yet effective accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the consolidated financial position, statements of operations and cash flows. |
