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SCMP Reporter

I am pleased to see that progress has been made with electric cars in Hong Kong. 
First the government sanctioned the import of the Mitsubishi iMiEV from Japan. And then CLP Power gave employees a chance to drive these vehicles that can hopefully help reduce the city's serious levels of air pollution ('CLP employees to take electric cars for a spin', August 6). 
CLP staff  can test-drive an electric car for free to help the company gather data for planning a network of facilities around Hong Kong for charging these vehicles.
I hope these cars will be welcomed by all sectors of the business world and by Hongkongers.  
I think citizens are becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues. 
Because of  deteriorating air quality, hotter summers and the increasing frequency of natural disasters, people are coming to realise the huge cost  we are paying for polluting our planet. 
This awareness has been heightened by higher education levels and various campaigns that highlight the need for all of us to do our bit to curb climate change and save the earth.  
 I hope we are entering an era of   environmentally-friendly motoring and transport systems. 
If this happens then the introduction of the electric cars to Hong Kong will be  regarded as a success.
That success is dependent on the existence of the necessary infrastructure with extensive recharging systems and facilities.  
  Drivers can use their Octopus card at one location at a Polytechnic University-designed charging station. 
  Also, CLP Power  is planning to provide a more comprehensive network of charging facilities and the employee test-drive scheme will help it choose the most suitable locations.  This will make these cars more user-friendly.
I know some people have expressed doubts about these cars, arguing that they are too expensive.  However, savings are made in the recharging process, so that they are much cheaper to drive than petrol-driven cars. 
We are talking about a lower cost of  operation and higher fuel efficiency. 
Better still, the government has decided there will be no first registration tax for electric cars. 
Therefore, the real price of electric vehicles over the long term is lower than conventional cars.  
 I believe that over the next five years these environmentally friendly cars will become more popular and we will see an improvement in Hong Kong's air quality.  
 However, the government must speed up its programme of providing more charging facilities in the city.   
Lo Fung-ha, Tseung Kwan O



Step up effort to install charging stations for electric vehicles