The world is in a race against time to reduce emissions and combat the impact of climate change – and the transport sector alone accounts for almost a quarter of global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, according to the International Energy Association (IEA).

That is why electric vehicles (EVs) are critical to our collective future, as they do not emit CO₂ while being driven. 

Switching from conventional petrol and diesel vehicles to EVs, therefore, will play a major part in efforts to limit global warming to within 1.5°C compared with pre-industrial levels under the terms of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

A global shift of gear 

Nearly one in three of the world’s new vehicles will be electrified by 2030, says Deloitte, which predicts total EV sales will grow from 2.5 million in 2020 to 31.1 million by 2030. 

To speed up the adoption of EVs, governments have set out and even tightened plans for bans on the registering of new conventional vehicles. Norway aims to become the first country in the world to ban the sale of such cars by 2025, while in the UK, the plan has recently been brought forward 10 years from 2040 to 2030.

In China, the government issued a New Energy Vehicle 2035 plan, aiming to raise the ratio of EVs sold to 25% by 2025 and to closely integrate EVs into the power grid.

With sales of vehicles with internal combustion engines already past their peak, nearly every major auto manufacturer has announced significant investments in EV production, as well as sales targets to compete in the fast-growing market over the coming decade. 

Road blocks in Hong Kong

The number of EVs in Hong Kong was close to 22,000 at the end of June, representing only around 2.3% of total vehicles. That low proportion demonstrates how much more remains to be done to boost EV uptake in the city.

The Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles was launched earlier this year, setting out the long-term policy objectives and plans to promote the adoption of EVs and supporting facilities.

An EV can cost between 10% and 40% more than a petrol or diesel model, largely because of the high production cost of the batteries that power them.

Charging remains another key issue to be tackled. Because of its limited land, Hong Kong faces issues in providing sufficient charging infrastructure across the territory.

Parking spaces with charging ports remain challenging to find. They are often occupied, sometimes by conventional vehicles, and charging takes considerably longer than filling a fuel tank.

Building a more comprehensive and reliable fast-charging network across the city is therefore vital if EVs are to be more widely adopted. 

As well as subsidies to increase the number of charging facilities, more charging ports could be made available in old buildings, and petrol stations could be gradually converted into EV charging stations.

CLP Power has for years promoted low-carbon driving to make Hong Kong a greener and smarter city. It has continually extended its free EV charging service to offer EV drivers a convenient and reliable territory-wide network. 

To cater to surging demand for its EV charging service, CLP Power has established semi-quick and quick EV charging stations in Kowloon, the New Territories, and Lantau. 

Meanwhile, Smart Charge, a joint venture between CLP Holdings and HKT, offers and deploys EV charging solutions in private and public carparks across Hong Kong.  

Accelerating the pace of change

Some critics of EVs argue that they are not truly sustainable or green because the way the electricity that powers them is produced still creates a lot of emissions.

New processes to avoid this are being explored. With a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) model, for example, EVs are able to trasnfer their electricity and sell demand response services back to the power grid, allowing for a more circular energy economy.

The electrification of vehicles will live up to its promise of a greener future when the prices of vehicles and batteries fall, when charging networks grow and become more intelligent, when more EV models are available and when EV technology matures.

By overcoming these speed bumps, the road ahead will become smoother, greener, and more sustainable.