LCQ11: Promoting the popularisation of electric commercial vehicles
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Question:
The Government is committed to promoting the popularisation of electric commercial vehicles (ECVs) and promulgated the Green Transformation Roadmap of Public Buses and Taxis in 2024 to provide subsidies to franchised bus operators and taxi owners for purchasing 600 electric buses (e-buses) and 3 000 electric taxis (e-taxis) respectively, while also actively expanding supporting facilities for ECVs. Recently, the Government pointed out in the Updated Version of the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles that the technological and market development of ECVs generally remained slower than that of electric private cars. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it will increase the subsidies for the purchase of e-buses and e-taxis by the trades; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether it will consider expanding the scope of subsidies to cover the purchase of e-buses by the non-franchised bus trade; if so, of the details;
(2) as the authorities intend to launch a subsidy scheme for wheelchair-accessible e-taxis this year, whether the preliminary subsidy amount proposed under the scheme for each wheelchair-accessible e-taxi will be higher than the subsidy amount of $45,000 for each e-taxi under the e-Taxi Subsidy Scheme;
(3) of the latest progress of converting conventional petrol filling stations into fast charging stations, opening up charging facilities in bus depots for public use and implementing trial projects on e-taxi charging modes respectively at present; whether the authorities have assessed if the progress of the aforesaid projects accords with their expectations for the plan; and
(4) as the authorities will launch a new scheme under the New Energy Transport Fund this year to encourage the industry to install fast chargers for use by ECVs, of the projected number of fast chargers that can be installed with the subsidies under the scheme and the maximum subsidy amount for each fast charger?
Reply:
President,
In February this year, the Government published the Updated Version of the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles (Updated Roadmap), summarised the progress that had been made to promote the popularisation of electric vehicles (EVs) in Hong Kong since the Government formulated the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles in 2021, and updated the strategies and measures adopted by the Government to promote EV popularisation. As analysed in the Updated Roadmap, the development of electric commercial vehicles (e-CVs) is relatively slow now mainly because the technology is not yet mature. Due to various factors including significantly higher purchase costs compared to diesel vehicles, limited range, lower load-carrying capacity, and longer charging time, etc, many e-CV types available in the local market still fail to meet operators' requirements, preventing large-scale adoption at this stage. These include goods vehicles, non-franchised buses, and public and private light buses, etc.
To address the issue that these e-CVs are not yet ready for large-scale electrification, we have established a working group in collaboration with the trade to assist in introducing more competitively priced EV models. Public light buses will be the initial trial target, with the trial expanding to other vehicle types depending on the results. We will also examine the relaxation of the maximum gross vehicle weight restrictions, referencing standards from other regions, to facilitate the introduction of more e-CV models. This will foster market competition, drive down prices, and provide commercial vehicle owners with more choices.
Besides, we will adopt a multi-pronged strategy that leverages market forces and provides policy guidance to develop a public charging network with fast chargers (FCs) as the backbone. The target is to increase the number of FCs to 4 000 by 2030, supporting around 200 000 EVs. The number of FCs is expected to reach around 10 000 by 2035, supporting around 500 000 EVs, providing greater convenience for private car owners while underpinning the overall popularisation of e-CVs.
My response to the question raised by the Hon Ng is as follows:
(1) and (2) The Government has earmarked over $600 million under the New Energy Transport Fund (NET Fund) to subsidise franchised bus operators in the purchase of approximately 600 electric buses (e-buses), as well as to subsidise taxi owners in the purchase of 3 000 electric taxis (e-taxis). The franchised bus operators are currently preparing for the tenders for the e-buses, with a view to placing purchase orders by the end of 2027 and completing vehicle delivery and registration by the end of 2029. It is expected that the first batch of e-buses will be registered in 2027 and gradually put into service. As of the end of April 2026, in the first four rounds of the e-taxi subsidy scheme, 1 992 taxis had accepted the subsidy quotas and submitted order documents within the specified deadline, of which 786 e-taxis have been licensed. The Government will continue to invite eligible vehicle owners to participate in the scheme based on vehicle age, with a view to achieving the target of introducing 3 000 e-taxis by the end of 2027. Regarding electric wheelchair taxis, the Updated Roadmap proposed that the Government plans to launch a further $50 million subsidy scheme in 2026. The Government has met with the taxi trade (including taxi associations/unions, taxi fleets and electric wheelchair taxi suppliers) to gather preliminary views on the framework of the subsidy scheme. The Government will further consult relevant stakeholders and take into account factors such as the number of electric wheelchair taxi models available on the market and the views of the trade when determining the subsidy quantity and amount. Details will be announced in due course.
As for other commercial vehicle types, including non-franchised buses, as mentioned earlier, the overall process of electrification is still at its early stages, and the technology and vehicle models are not yet sufficient for large-scale application. We will therefore adopt a pragmatic approach to gradually promote the use of these vehicle types in Hong Kong.
(3) and (4) The Government is progressively transforming petrol filling stations (PFSs) into fast charging stations (FCSs). Over the past two years or so, we have put six FCS sites to tender, which together can provide over 110 FCs. Of these, the first two FCSs, located in Kowloon Bay and Fo Tan, are expected to commence operation as early as in the first half of 2026, providing a total of 28 FCs. Depending on market response, the Government will put to tender the remaining sites in due course. Furthermore, the Government is encouraging PFS operators to install FCs in their PFSs by refining PFS land lease conditions. Around 60 PFSs across Hong Kong are currently suitable for the installation of chargers. As of the end of April 2026, 29 PFSs have been approved to install 85 FCs. The first two FCs installed were at the petrol-cum-charging station in Diamond Hill, which commenced operations in February 2026, whilst a further 15 are expected to commence operation in the coming months. The Government expects that, from 2026 onwards, the charger retrofitting programme in PFSs will gradually provide up to approximately 180 FCs. It is estimated that the approximately 300 FCs at the aforementioned FCSs and petrol-cum-charging stations combined will be able to support nearly 18 000 EVs.
The Environment and Ecology Bureau has been facilitating franchised bus operators in opening up the charging facilities at their depots to the public. Currently, franchised bus operators have made approximately 12 FCs at their bus depot in Lai Chi Kok available for use by the public during daytime. It is anticipated that by 2026, about 72 FCs across 10 additional bus depots will be made available for use by the public, capable of supporting approximately 4 000 EVs.
In addition, the Government will install 50 FCs dedicated to e-taxis (capable of supporting approximately 300 e-taxis) by the end of 2027. Of these, 12 are already fully operational, whilst contracts for the installation of the remaining 38 were awarded at the end of 2025. Apart from the aforementioned dedicated FCs, e-taxis may also utilise the growing number of public charging facilities currently available in the private market. As of March 2026, there were approximately 16 880 public chargers, of which around 2 940 were quick or fast chargers.
Progress on the above schemes is broadly in line with expectations. As for the originally planned trial project for e-taxi charging facilities, in light of the launch of the $300 million Fast Charger Incentive Scheme and the experience gained therefrom, this will be transformed into a $20 million fast charger scheme dedicated for commercial vehicles. The aim is to encourage the trade to install FCs with an output power of at least 240 kilowatts, thereby better supporting all e-CVs including e-taxis. We are currently drafting the framework for the new scheme and, following consultation with relevant stakeholders, will finalise the details and arrangements, including the subsidy amount and the number of chargers. We aim to announce the details of the new scheme in due course by the end of 2026.
Ends/Wednesday, May 20, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:45
Issued at HKT 11:45
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