The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (March 9) announced the amended qualifying standards (QS) for the first registration tax concessions for heavy and light duty environment-friendly commercial vehicles (EFCVs), which will take effect from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, inclusive.

     Details of the amended QS for heavy and light duty EFCVs are as follows:

     1. Heavy duty commercial vehicles (with a design weight of more than 3.5 tonnes):
          i. The QS for heavy duty commercial vehicles will be revised to "Emit at least 30 per cent less nitrogen oxides (NOx) than the China VI-b or Euro VI emission limit", i.e. the corresponding national standard will be added to the current QS. As the NOx emission limits of both standards are currently the same, the QS emission limit will remain unchanged.

     2. Light duty commercial vehicles (with a design weight of not more than 3.5 tonnes):
          i. The QS for light duty commercial vehicles (excluding taxis) will be tightened to "Emit not more NOx than the China 6b emission limit" (the emission limit of China 6b is approximately 40 per cent to 60 per cent of that for Euro 6);
          ii. The QS for taxis will remain unchanged, i.e. emit at least 80 per cent less NOx than the Euro 6 emission limit.
 
     The first registration tax concession rates and their concession caps for all EFCVs will remain unchanged.

     To improve roadside air quality and safeguard public health, the Government has been offering first registration tax concessions since April 1, 2008, to encourage commercial vehicle owners to choose EFCVs with exhaust emissions that outperform the prevailing statutory emission standards. The EPD reviews the QS of EFCV models annually in light of vehicle technological advancements, market availability and the prevailing statutory emission standards for the first registered vehicles.

     The EPD regularly updates the list of EFCV models as new models enter the local market. Details of the tax concession scheme for EFCVs are available at
www.epd.gov.hk/epd/english/environmentinhk/air/prob_solutions/environment_friendly_commercial_vehicles.html.

Ends/Monday, March 9, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:00

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