Hong Kong’s electric vehicle goal ‘the most progressive in Asia’, and could become more progressive still, environment minister says

Hong Kong’s target of phasing out new purchases of fossil fuel-powered private cars by 2035 is already “the most progressive in Asia”, and will be subject to review every five years to see if it can be achieved even sooner, the city’s environment minister, Wong Kam-sing, has said.

The push to promote electric vehicles is part of Hong Kong’s broader goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, an ambitious timeline that would put it 10 years ahead of the mainland. Over the past decade, the number of electric vehicles in Hong Kong has grown from just 184 to more than 18,500, and there are currently some 3,300 charging stations for electric cars across the city.

“Our target [of 2035] is actually the most progressive in Asia,” Wong said in a briefing on Friday. “The meaning of 2035 is to set a clear signal to the car manufacturers and suppliers to Hong Kong that we would progressively support having more electric vehicles in Hong Kong.”

The government, he added, would also continue to re-evaluate whether there was room for the target to be brought forward. The goal would be reviewed every five years, with the first expected in 2025.

Green groups have urged the government to bring forward the 2035 target, saying some other countries have even more ambitious goals. Norway, for instance, has a plan to ban the sale of fossil fuel-powered cars by 2025, while Britain has moved its target from 2040 to 2030. Singapore’s target is 2040.