IN DETAIL: ENVIRONMENT
Steering Hong Kong Motorists Towards a Low-Carbon Future The Hong Kong Government is stepping up its support for electric vehicles with a subsidy scheme for charging infrastructure – and the city’s largest energy company, CLP Power, is helping drive the switch to green motoring with a onestop support service called Eco Charge 2.0. – By Dr Anthony Lo
A
quiet green evolution is taking place on the streets of Hong Kong as rising numbers of drivers make the switch to electric vehicles (EVs), reducing vehicle roadside emissions and helping to lower the city’s carbon footprint. The number of EVs in Hong Kong has soared from less than 100 in 2010 to around 17,000 today, accounting for around 2.6 per cent of all cars in the city. But a long and winding road lies ahead before EVs become Hong Kong’s vehicles of choice. With its limited driving distances and its high population density, Hong Kong is in many ways ideal for EVs. For drivers, however, one of the biggest hurdles to green motoring is finding convenient and reliable ways to recharge their vehicles.
24
To accelerate the growth of EV driving and reduce roadside air pollution, the Hong Kong Government has launched a HK$2 billion EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme (EHSS), providing subsidies for Incorporated Owners (IO) or management offices to install EV charging-enabling infrastructure in private residential buildings. According to the government’s estimation, the scheme is expected to fund the installation of charging facilities in around 60,000 parking spaces in private housing estates across Hong Kong over the next three years, which in turn encourages more people with driving needs to switch to EVs. CLP Power Hong Kong Limited – a champion of EV driving which already provides a network of free EV charging points across the territory – is supporting the
