A woman walks past a row of taxis waiting for passengers in Hong Kong on July 16, 2021. The city is set to launch a fleet of 4,000 hi-tech electric taxis by the end of 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
Hong Kong is set to launch a fleet of 4,000 hi-tech electric taxis by the end of this year, marking a significant move towards improving public transportation service and reducing carbon emissions, according to the Taxi Drivers & Operators Association.
Sam Wong, founder and general secretary of the association, revealed the plan in an interview with China Daily Hong Kong Edition. “We are negotiating with new energy car-makers in the (Chinese) mainland about cooperation details and actively inspecting parking lots in the city for the installation of more charging stations.”
He said this will be the first batch of new energy cars and the ultimate goal is to replace the entire taxi fleet with electric vehicles.
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In addition, these new electric taxis will be equipped with intelligent systems to monitor drivers’ health, such as dozing off or a sudden heart attack, to shape up driving safety, as well as mobile payment devices and in-vehicle communication systems to optimize service.
Besides taxis, the first batch of the Kowloon Motor Bus's electric double-deck buses were put into service starting July 30, and a new electric public light bus was launched by Shun Hing New Energy on Aug 8
He pointed out that electric vehicles can also help taxi drivers save on the cost of petroleum gas (LPG) for fuel, which works out at more than HK$100 each day.
Among over 18,000 taxis currently in Hong Kong, around 3,000 are five-seater LPG taxis that are over 15 years old. Wong believes that it is an opportune time to phase out this aging fleet.
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This plan aligns with the local trend towards electrifying transportation to mitigate air pollution and improve air quality. As of March, carbon emissions from the transportation sector made up around 20 percent of total carbon emissions in Hong Kong, according to the Secretary for Environment and Ecology.
To achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and reduce its carbon emissions by 50 percent before 2035 as compared with 2005, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has released a series of measures to encourage the green transformation of public transportation industries.
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The city’s 2023-24 Budget announced that the government will put in place a loan scheme with a 100-percent guarantee for the taxi trade as an incentive for taxi owners to replace their existing taxis with battery electric taxis. It is estimated that the proposed measure will involve a loan guarantee of about HK$6.4 billion.
Besides taxis, the first batch of the Kowloon Motor Bus's electric double-deck buses were put into service starting July 30, and a new electric public light bus was launched by Shun Hing New Energy on Aug 8.
As for the private sector, new registration of fuel-propelled private cars including hybrid vehicles will be prohibited in 2035 or earlier, according to the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles released by the government in 2021.
