Hong Kong to phase out fossil fuel cars and go all electric over next 20 years, says environment chief

Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing has upped the incentives for more charging stations in every new development

Buses, taxis and ferries will also move over to a more sustainable fuel source, he says

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Tesla Supercharging station at Science Park, Tai Po. Hong Kong’s plans to ban the sale of all fossil fuel cars over the next 20 years. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 8:00am, 29 Oct 2019Updated: 8:32am, 29 Oct 2019

Hong Kong plans to phase out all fossil fuel vehicles over the next 10 to 20 years and switch to electric modes of commercial and public transport to improve air quality, according to the city’s environment chief.

Secretary for the Environment Wong Kam-sing’s commitment to the city’s electric vehicle (EV) transition came just a week after he announced that the government would provide HK$2 billion to old private estates to upgrade parking facilities to EV charging.

“It’s about readiness. When the EV market is more mature, we will be prepared. We will not be able to meet the demands if we don’t take action now,” he said in an interview with the South China Morning Post.

The government’s plan is expected to cover 60,000 car spaces across the city. Combined with 100 per cent gross floor area concessions for electric vehicle chargers granted by the Building Authority since 2011 to private developers, a quarter of all parking spaces in Hong Kong should be compatible with electric vehicle charging in three years, Wong said.

Hong Kong’s Secretary for the Environment, Wong Kam-sing. Photo: May Tse

As of August, there were 12,195 electric vehicles approved for road use in Hong Kong, up from fewer than 100 at the end of 2010. EVs make up about 1.8 per cent of private cars in the city, putting it just behind Beijing’s 2 per cent.

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