The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government updates the "Roadmap for Popularizing Electric Vehicles in Hong Kong".

On February 12, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government announced the updated version of the "Hong Kong Electric Vehicle Popularization Roadmap" (referred to as the "Updated Version"). The "Updated Version" reviewed the development of electric vehicle technology over the past 10 years, summarized the progress of electric vehicle popularization in Hong Kong since the government formulated the "Hong Kong Electric Vehicle Popularization Roadmap" in 2021, and updated the strategies and measures adopted by the government to promote the popularization of electric vehicles. A spokesperson for the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department said, "In 2021, the Hong Kong government formulated the 'Roadmap,' proposing the target of phasing out new registrations of fuel private cars, including hybrid cars, by 2035 or earlier, in order to achieve zero emissions from vehicles by 2050 and help Hong Kong move towards carbon neutrality by 2050. The government will also announce the 'Green Transformation Roadmap for Public Buses and Taxis' in 2024." "To ensure that policies keep pace with the times, taking into account the latest technological developments, the progress of electric vehicle popularization in the local area, and comprehensive industry views, we have updated the 'Roadmap' to summarize the policy direction, pragmatically and continuously promote the development of the electric vehicle market locally, to achieve zero emissions from vehicles by 2050." The spokesperson stated that the issue of climate change is becoming increasingly serious, and promoting sustainable green transportation has become a global consensus. The various measures in the "Updated Version" will lay a foundation that fits the local situation for the future electrification of vehicles, pragmatically promote the popularization of electric vehicles, and lead the industry towards green transformation. Building on the original "Roadmap," the "Updated Version" lists five categories of work with a total of 28 planned measures, outlined as follows: (1) Policy Promotion The Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department will coordinate the work of various relevant policy bureaus and departments, establish an electric vehicle charging network centered on high-speed charging stations to fully support the application of electric vehicles in Hong Kong; set up working groups to identify electric commercial vehicles suitable for local use and support the popularization of electric commercial vehicles; through the New Energy Transport Fund and the Low Carbon Green Technology Fund, fund research and development of related environmental technologies, with the funding for electric vehicle trials or research totaling nearly two billion Hong Kong dollars to date. To address the issue of different charging standards for electric vehicles in Mainland China and Hong Kong, and to promote standard internationalization, the National Energy Administration and the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department will collaborate on the launch of a pilot program for the new generation electric vehicle charging technology, ChaoJi. The goal is to complete the construction of a ChaoJi Hong Kong charging demonstration station by 2027, to help the country introduce and export innovative charging technologies. The country's electric vehicle industry is leading the world in terms of scale and innovation. The Hong Kong government will provide policy support and overall coordination to companies interested in promoting electric vehicles in Hong Kong, using Hong Kong's status as an international financial technology hub as a springboard for global expansion, helping the country's electric vehicle industry and technology go global, and promoting the global popularization of electric vehicles. (2) Electric Private Cars With the strong promotion by the government and the joint efforts of stakeholders, electric vehicles have rapidly developed in Hong Kong, with the number of electric vehicles increasing fourfold to over 140,000 in four years. The growth rate of electric private cars in Hong Kong is among the top in the world. It is estimated that by 2030, the number of electric private cars in Hong Kong is expected to exceed 290,000, and by 2035, it may approach 500,000. The technology of electric private cars is now mature, the supply of models has greatly increased, and the prices are becoming competitive with traditional fuel private cars. The popularization of electric private cars is gradually being driven by market forces. In the future, the government will mainly improve supporting facilities and convenience for users through the construction of charging networks, maintenance training, and battery recycling to support the green transformation of private cars. While some places internationally are slowing down the process of vehicle electrification, Hong Kong will maintain the target of stopping the registration of fuel private cars, including hybrids, by 2035 or earlier, in line with the country's determination to achieve carbon neutrality. (3) Electric Commercial Vehicles At present, the overall development of electric commercial vehicles in terms of technology and market is still in its early stages, with less mature conditions compared to electric private cars. Some vehicle types, including franchised buses, taxis, and light commercial vehicles, are relatively more conducive to reaching the conditions for large-scale application compared to other types of commercial vehicles. The Hong Kong government will pragmatically promote commercial vehicle types that meet the conditions for large-scale application. As for electric commercial vehicle types that have not reached the stage of large-scale application, the government will establish working groups to identify suitable electric commercial vehicles for local applications and create conditions for their future large-scale application. (4) Charging Network Since 2011, Hong Kong has been promoting the installation of charging infrastructure in new parking spaces through tightening the exemption arrangements for total floor area. In 2020, the EV Estate Charging Enabling Grant Program was launched, and now there are around 130,000 private building and estate parking spaces with charging facilities; the number of public charging stations has increased from around 4,700 in 2021 to about 16,500 currently, supporting approximately 100,000 electric vehicles. It is expected that by the middle of 2027, the number of public and private charging parking spaces will rise to about 200,000, enough to support over 300,000 electric vehicles. In the future, the Hong Kong government will make good use of market forces to construct a public charging network centered on high-speed charging stations through policy guidance. The goal is to have no less than 4,000 high-speed charging stations by 2030, supporting around 200,000 electric vehicles, and to have around 10,000 high-speed charging stations by 2035, supporting around 500,000 electric vehicles. Along with a large number of parking spaces equipped with charging facilities, it will be more convenient for electric vehicle users. (5) Supporting Measures The first large-scale electric vehicle battery recycling facility in Hong Kong is currently under construction at the EcoPark and is expected to be operational in the first half of 2026, converting retired batteries into recycled black powder for supply to the Mainland and surrounding areas. This recycling facility not only promotes the development of the electric vehicle battery recycling industry but also enhances Hong Kong's role in the regional green industrial chain, providing a good example for mutual cooperation in the environmental industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The Hong Kong government has also begun work to update the "Technical Guidelines for Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities," with the goal of completing it by the end of this year to align with the latest developments in electric vehicles. In addition, the government is collaborating with universities to promote advanced training courses for electric vehicle technology and maintenance professionals, with around 1,100 technicians completing relevant training courses as of December last year.