On December 10th, Hong Kong unveiled its "Green Transformation Roadmap for Public Buses and Taxis." This initiative aims to accelerate the shift towards electric vehicles in the city's public transport sector. The government will soon invite industry stakeholders to participate in this transformative effort.
The plan includes financial support for bus companies to purchase approximately 600 electric buses, offering subsidies of HKD 400,000 for single-decker and HKD 800,000 for double-decker buses. Additionally, taxi owners will receive subsidies of HKD 45,000 per vehicle to acquire 3,000 electric taxis, prioritizing the replacement of older models. The total funding for these subsidies exceeds HKD 600 million.
To support this transition, the Environmental and Ecology Bureau announced plans to expand the charging network. By 2027, over 500 high-speed charging stations are expected to be available. Furthermore, private entities will be subsidized to install 3,000 public high-speed charging stations by the end of 2030. The ultimate goal is to achieve zero emissions for all buses and taxis by 2050. This roadmap marks a significant step towards a greener, more sustainable future for Hong Kong's public transportation system.
The government has invited New Energy Asia Pacific Company Limited to attend the event and arranged for KAIYI electric taxis to be photographed by the media. Company representative Mr. Li mentioned that they had previously collaborated with a Sichuan vehicle manufacturer (KAIYI) to customize electric taxis suitable for Hong Kong's environment. These taxis are priced lower than traditional ones and come with a 3-year free electronic map service to assist drivers in serving tourists.
Mr. Li stated that the industry response has been enthusiastic, with over 500 car owners and fleets expressing interest in placing orders, and 100 units have already been reserved. The company aims to secure more benefits for the industry to encourage vehicle replacement, targeting 1,000 units by next year.
The cost of this electric taxi model is approximately HKD 228,000, which is lower than the over HKD 300,000 price of traditional taxis. Based on their road tests in Hong Kong, each kilowatt-hour can cover about 7.2 kilometers, surpassing the current electric vehicles' range of 5 to 6 kilometers per kilowatt-hour. The battery has a lifespan of around 7 years or 700,000 kilometers, with a full charge taking about 26 minutes and offering a range of approximately 390 kilometers.
To suit Hong Kong's environment, the vehicle has been specially customized. Through collaboration with mainland merchants, a 3-year electronic map system support is provided for drivers. Passengers can state their destination in foreign languages for navigation, aiding drivers in accommodating tourists, and the system supports Arabic as well. The vehicle is also equipped with a defibrillator for emergencies.
Mr. Li added that the company hopes to have another 10 to 20 vehicles tested on Hong Kong streets this year to gather data. The industry feedback has been positive, with fleets and owners reaching out to express interest in ordering. In the future, they aim to collaborate with merchants to offer fuel discounts of 70% to 80% compared to traditional taxis, encouraging the industry to switch vehicles.
Subsidy Support for Taxi Owners
The current average age of all taxis in Hong Kong is about eight years. Following the gradual and orderly principle of green transformation and considering the usable life of taxis, the Government will roll out a scheme to subsidies the taxi trade for the purchase of 3 000 e-taxis.
will issue letters to invite taxi owners of the 3 000 oldest taxis to participate in the e-taxi subsidy scheme, and invite participations from taxi owners in accordance with taxi ages for any remaining quotas.
Under the subsidy scheme, the subsidy level for each e-taxi is $45,000, equivalent to about 10% to 25% of the current market prices of e-taxis. The total subsidy amount for 3 000 e-taxis is estimated to be about $135 million.
taxi owners will need to reply on their intention to replace their taxis within two months. They need to place a purchase order of an e-taxi within six months from the date of invitation and obtain the licence within 12 months after placing the purchase order.
Expanding Charging Network
To cater for the expected jump in number of e-buses and e-taxis, the Government will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach in promoting the expansion of charging facilities, so as to gradually develop a territory wide network for ensuring sufficient and convenient charging support for suiting the needs of various EVs.
Convert traditional petrol filling stations (PFSs) into fast charging stations (FCSs) and retrofit existing PFSs to install FCs (to provide about 300 FCs by end-2027)
Open up bus depots’ charging facilities (to open up about 70 FCs by end-2027)
Roll out trial projects on e-taxi charging facilities (to provide about 100 FCs by end-2027)
Install fast charging facilities in taxi stands (to provide about 50 FCs by end-2027)
