As part of the government’s ambition to introduce 3,000 electric vehicles by 2027, Hong Kong Tele-call Taxi Association signed a contract with BYD in 2023, introducing 200 e-taxis in March the following year. As of now, 1,900 battery-run taxis are set to hit the road by July and Hong Kong’s strive towards zero carbon emissions from the transport sector by 2050 is gaining momentum.
Addressing Air Quality and Public Health
Diesel vehicles are the main cause of street-level air pollution in Hong Kong, leading to poor air quality especially in busy areas. Transportation accounts for 20% of carbon emissions in the city, and motor vehicles also cause smog. The integration of electric taxis into the new fleet represents a step towards sustainability and a cleaner environment.
Aside from being an environmental choice, the adoption of electric taxis is also a matter of public health. Research has shown that there were strong associations between high pollution and hospital admissions and deaths for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
“I believe choosing electric taxis is a meaningful way to reduce environmental and health impacts,” said Soyeon Lee, an engineering student at the University of Hong Kong. “I care about the change in the transport system.”
Government Initiatives: The EV Roadmap and Financial Support
The government has set out multiple plans and policies to tackle the issues, one of them being the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles (the EV Roadmap) announced in March 2021. The EV roadmap aims for zero carbon emission from vehicles by 2050 and includes strategies to integrate electric taxis into the transport system.
Some methods outlined in the roadmap are schemes such as the Dedicated 100% Loan Guarantee Scheme for Battery Electric Taxis (the Loan Scheme) and the New Energy Transport (NET) Fund to encourage the use of electric vehicles by reducing the burden of purchasing them.
According to data from Energy Information Administration (EIA), all electric vehicles produce less tailpipe emission compared to conventional vehicles, and zero tailpipe emissions when run only on electricity. Moreover, as electricity generation becomes cleaner, EVs become cleaner, showing the long-term viability of this transition in the transport system.
Concerns in Introducing Electric Taxis
However, there are challenges in the journey towards widespread adoption of electric taxis. Public awareness of these taxis is still low and there are concerns of cost for operators. Cost gaps between acquisition of electric vehicles and fuel-propelled vehicles are narrowing but still exist.
There are also long-term cost concerns as an average taxi, according to the EV Roadmap, operates more than 100,000 kilometres a year and require frequent change of batteries. EV suppliers typically provide warranty for only 150,000 to 240,000 kilometres, raising questions about the economic feasibility of electric taxis.
Grace Zheng, a student at HKU who has used e-taxis before, commented, “I am concerned about environmental issues, and I will be glad to take an electric taxi.”
She added that the condition is these taxis must be as conveniently accessible as regular ones. “I won’t pay more or wait longer for the e-taxi,” she said.
To combat the challenges and push toward zero carbon emission through introduction of electric vehicles, Hong Kong’s taxi operators, government bodies, and the public need close collaboration.