Explainer | EV makers swarm to Hong Kong, lured by strong government support, rapid adoption rate
- Hong Kong has approved 264 EV models from 16 jurisdictions to ply on its roads, including 202 car and motorcycle models
- Over 60 per cent of newly registered cars in Hong Kong in the first nine months of 2023 were electric and it is expected to hit 100 per cent by 2030
The hype of electric vehicles (EVs) has never been stronger in Hong Kong. At the just-concluded International MotorXpo Hong Kong, Chinese EV manufacturers including BYD, Zeekr, and TV maker Skyworth showcased their latest EV models, and Inchcape Greater China, the city’s largest multi-brand auto distributor, also announced an increase in the share of EVs in its annual sales to 50 per cent by 2026.
The transport sector is Hong Kong’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter behind electricity producers, and its decarbonisation will be critical to realising the city’s net-zero emissions goal by mid-century, but challenges remain as the city needs to speed up the roll-out of infrastructure for charging and for recycling retired EV batteries.
Hong Kong’s EV population stood at 70,701 units at the end of October, representing about 7.7 per cent of the total number of vehicles, according to the Environmental Protection Department (EPD).
