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Following is a question by the Hon Jeffrey Lam and an oral reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, in the Legislative Council meeting today (February 8) :
Question:
Regarding the introduction of environmentally-friendly vehicles to reduce vehicular emissions, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the results to-date of the operational tests conducted on the five electric-petroleum hybrid motor cars purchased by the Government last year; and how such vehicles compare to ordinary petroleum motor cars in terms of emissions, fuel consumption and repair and maintenance costs; and
(b) whether it will consider offering tax concessions to encourage the public to switch to environmentally-friendly vehicles?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) In April 2005 the Government introduced five hybrid sedans for a two-year trial in various Government departments. The trial was to assess the maintenance requirements and operating efficiency of this type of vehicle when used in Government's vehicular fleet under local conditions. Results of the initial seven months of operation show that -
(i) The maintenance cost for hybrid sedans is similar to that for petrol-fueled sedans of the same class. However, due to the short duration of the trial, conclusion can be made only when the data are subject to detailed analysis upon the completion of the test;
(ii) The fuel consumption for hybrid sedans is about half of that for petrol-fueled sedans of the same class.
According to the information we gathered, the emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides of these five hybrid sedans are about 40% less than those of petrol sedans of the same class complying with the Euro IV standard. These two key pollutants are responsible for the photochemical smog affecting Hong Kong in recent years. In terms of green house gases, the emission of carbon dioxide is also halved.
(b) The Chief Executive has clearly pointed out in his 2005 Policy Address that the Government will consider using hybrid vehicles that have lower emissions on a wider scale, once more models become available on the market and are judged to be cost-effective, and will also encourage the community to do the same. We will closely monitor the market conditions with a view to formulating appropriate policy to encourage the use of hybrid vehicles.
Ends/Wednesday, February 8, 2006
Issued at HKT 12:57
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