We need cohesive policy integration
Hong Kong is the ideal place for electric vehicles: we have a closed road system with limited driving range; the electricity grid is reliable and ubiquitous. We also have appallingly high levels of roadside air pollution.
According to the Hong Kong University School of Public Health, air pollution annually results in more than 1,600 premature deaths, more than 110,000 hospital bed days, and over 2.6 million doctor visits — a total economic loss of more than HK$21 billion. Nothing in this government’s policy for EVs adequately addresses this.
While EVs have lower running costs (greater efficiency, and cheaper versus taxed petrol/ diesel), annual statistics show Hong Kong vehicles travel only one-quarter the distance for those in Europe and only an eighth of those in the United States. The highest annual mileage will derive the most benefits from EV savings. This, combined with the 115 percent First Registration Tax (FRT) on EVs, results in the cost of a new EV here being substantially more than an equivalent petrol/diesel vehicle.
While Hong Kong could be the ideal place for EVs, and the whole society can benefit from breathing cleaner air, what is holding us back?
Lack of an EV ecosystem
Hong Kong needs legislative support for the right to bring electricity to private car parks. We have that right (called an easement) for our apartments and offices, so why not for our car parks? We need a financial policy to offset the difference in capital investment between EVs and equivalent petrol/diesel vehicles: this can be revenue-neutral under the “polluter pays” principle.
We need a public transport policy to permit tiered services, facilitate competition, and incentivize the switch to EVs. We need rapid expansion of public and private charging networks.
Hong Kong desperately needs a holistic approach to manage the transition to electric vehicles and sustainable transportation: a policy not just for vehicles, but the charging networks, regulatory framework, and support infrastructure.