Hong Kong to explore installing charging facilities at public-metered parking spaces when more electric vehicles on road

Hong Kong will explore installing charging facilities at public-metered parking spaces when the city has more electric vehicles on the road, the environment minister has said in what appeared to be a shift in the government’s stance.

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan’s latest suggestion was in apparent contrast to what he told the legislature four months ago, when he dismissed the proposal, citing space constraints and the possible impact on other drivers’ parking needs, among other considerations.

Tse said on Sunday the government would explore the option further when the city had more electric vehicles.

“Despite the high ratio of electric vehicles in new cars, the overall ratio is still low. Also, Hong Kong has little parking space. We do not plan to roll out a relevant scheme at the current stage,” Tse told a radio show. “When the ratio of electric vehicles increases, installing charging facilities in public metered parking spaces will be a direction.”

Lawmaker Gary Zhang Xinyu, a member of the Legislative Council’s environmental affairs panel, said the government’s argument that the low adoption rate of electric vehicles was a reason not to press ahead was not entirely valid, given there would be no more petrol-powered cars available for sale after 2035.