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Following is a question by the Hon Tsang Yok-sing and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng (in the absence of the Secretary for the Environment) in the Legislative Council today (January 16):
Question:
It has been reported that electric vehicles are now quite common in overseas countries, and such vehicles are expected to become popular in the next five to 10 years. Yet, people from the automobile industry have pointed out that the government policies and measures for promoting electric vehicles are inadequate, and even hinder the popularisation of such vehicles. As a result, electric vehicles produced in Hong Kong can only be sold to Europe but not in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of its existing policies and measures for promoting the use of electric vehicles;
(b) whether it has plans to enhance the relevant policies and measures so that more people would switch to using electric vehicles, thereby reducing air pollution; if it has such plans, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c) whether it will consider the tradeˇ¦s suggestions of drawing up relevant specifications for electric vehicles so that such vehicles are allowed to run on expressways, and award sites at nil land premium, with reference to the existing arrangement for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas filling stations, for building charging stations for electric vehicles?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) & (b) Vehicles powered by battery (i.e. electric vehicles) are free of emission. Replacing vehicles powered by internal combustion engines by electric vehicles can reduce roadside air pollution. To encourage the use of electric vehicles, the Government has been exempting them from First Registration Tax since April 1994. This exemption has been extended for several times and will remain effective until March 31, 2009.
To further promote the use of electric vehicles, under the ˇ§Incentive Scheme to Encourage the Use of Public Light Buses Running on Clean Alternative Fuelsˇ¨ completed in 2005, the Government provided a grant of $80,000 to owners replacing their diesel light buses with electric ones. The grant was $20,000 higher than that provided to owners switching to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) light buses. We are now implementing a similar grant arrangement under the incentive scheme launched in April 2007 to encourage the replacement of Pre-Euro and Euro I diesel commercial vehicles.
However, electric vehicles are still unpopular in Hong Kong and, for that matter, in other overseas countries. The major reason is that charging an electric vehicle is time-consuming, and each charging can only support a much shorter driving mileage than that of conventional vehicles with each filling. According to the findings of the ˇ§Alternative Fuel Light Bus Trialˇ¨ conducted by the Government and the light bus trade in 2001, an electric light bus requires four to eight quick chargings every day, each of which takes 20 to 30 minutes, as well as an overnight balance charging every four days. It has a travel range of only 30 to 50 kilometres after each charging, whereas an LPG light bus can travel more than 200 kilometres after each filling which takes only a few minutes.
Nevertheless, we will closely follow the technological development of electric vehicles and explore ways to further promote their wider usage when the technology has become more mature.
(c) The Transport Department will consider the suggestion from the trade to review and make relevant specifications for electric vehicles, if necessary, under the requirements stipulated in the Road Traffic Ordinance (Chapter 374) and its regulations so that electric vehicles which comply with such specifications can run on expressways.
As mentioned above, the travel range of electric vehicles would be comparable to that of conventional fuel vehicles only if there is a breakthrough in respect of their battery technology. For this reason, the Government will not consider setting up electric vehicle charging stations at this stage. However, we will closely monitor the technological development of electric vehicles and explore measures to further promote their usage when necessary.
Ends/Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Issued at HKT 14:31
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