Hong Kong plans to boost EV charging
HONG KONG Besides choosing to live or work in buildings that have eco-friendly features to reduce emissions and reduce energy consumption, the way we drive can also help reduce carbon emissions, which is desperately needed to combat the growing extremity of global climate.
In 201, Hong Kong's transportation sector was the second-largest source of carbon emissions in the city, accounting for about 18 percent of total carbon emissions, according to the Special Administrative Region's Climate Action Plan 2050. Private cars were responsible for 4.5 percent of the emissions, compared to other vehicle categories.
More people are driving electric vehicles EVs, instead of traditional fuel-propelled vehicles. It is a small move to fight climate change. The promotion of electric vehicles in the decarbonization drive can also cement a new business value chain.
The whole value chain would create new job opportunities in areas like town planning, mobile applications, electrical engineering and EV battery recycling.
According to the Environmental Protection Department, there were 33,214 EVs running on the road at the end of June this year, accounting for 3.6 percent of the total vehicles. There were only 5,046 EV chargers in all of the city's 18 districts. It is clear that more EV chargers are needed. Smart-city planning consultancy services will be in demand in the future when the government will have to consider factors such as wiring connections, safety precautions and securing power supply when designing spaces for installing EV charging facilities.
The popularity of EV charging would depend on the interoperability and interconnectivity of technology, even with the installation of EV chargers. The SAR government should encourage enterprises to launch mobile apps that can provide information about all the city's public and private electric vehicle chargers. When drivers can be more flexible in EV charging, they might switch to EVs. More job opportunities will be created for tech startups related to smart mobility.
The repairs and maintenance of EVs requires a new skill set of power electronics and electrical engineering, which is completely different from conventional mechanical engineering. When global EV manufacturers allow third-party access to their software and diagnostic systems, as well as reveal their repair manuals and other servicing and parts documents and information, demand for talent in electrical, power and chemical engineering expertise is going to rise.
The industry value chain would be created by EV battery recycling. EV suppliers have engaged licensed collectors to collect expired batteries of their vehicles. After proper preliminary treatment, such as sorting, discharging, insulation and packaging, expired batteries are exported to treatment facilities overseas for recycling. Hong Kong needs professionals who can handle the complicated and technical process of retiring EV batteries.
The SAR government is poised to invest HK $240 billion in various initiatives in the next two decades to tackle climate change and pledge carbon neutrality by 2050. In the process of combating climate change through promoting green transport, the city can also diversify its economy by creating new business value chains.
He covers various issues that are relevant to the development of the Hong Kong economy. He can be reached at oswald chinadailyhk.com