Professor Zhixi Wan

10 December 2025

For many electric vehicle (EV) owners in Hong Kong, circling around the car park near home after work to look for an available charging spot has become a daily routine. At weekends, they drive to park at shopping malls, only to find few charging bays available. Under the strong drive of demand-side policies such as the “One-for-One Replacement” Scheme (see Note 1), the number of electric private cars (e-PCs) rose at an unprecedented pace from approximately 14,000 in 2019 to 135,000 in September 2025. The retail penetration rate of new EV sales skyrocketed to a staggering 71.04% (see Note 2). However, in terms of supporting infrastructure, as of mid-2025, the public charger-to EV ratio in Hong Kong was roughly 9:1, far lower than that of about 3:1 in neighbouring Shenzhen across the river (see Note 3). The widening “scissors gap” between the exponential growth in EV numbers and the slow, linear rollout of charging facilities is seriously compromising the charging experience for EV users in Hong Kong.

Figure 1  Changing metrics on EV ownership in Hong Kong (see Note 4)

Top-level design for “home charging”

From the perspectives of economics and energy management, the “home-first” policy (charging facilities near users’ homes) is no doubt the best option. Not only is it the most cost-effective but it can also smooth out peak-valley disparities in grid load and enhance overall energy utilization efficiency. Take the development of home-charging infrastructure in Mainland cities, for example―the application procedure is already quite well established.

However, unlike the late-mover energy infrastructure in the Mainland, Hong Kong’s high-density living environment and abundance of old buildings pose structural and technical hurdles to the installation of charging facilities in existing parking spaces. In addition, any change to public areas in a building is usually subject to approval by the owners’ corporation. Under the Building Management Ordinance, such resolutions often require the consent of at least 50% or an even higher proportion of ownership. The whole process is laborious and fraught with uncertainty.

Figure 2 (see Note 5)

To address the above challenges, the SAR Government launched the EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme in 2020, with a funding ceiling of $3.5 billion. The Scheme is intended to provide financial support for installing charging infrastructure in the car parks of private residential buildings. However, there remain gaps in what the Scheme currently covers.

First of all, the core subsidy scope of the scheme primarily covers “basic framework” works in the public areas of a car park. The “final step” from the public junction box to the car owner’s private parking space, including cable installation and charging pile setup, still requires the owner to shoulder the relevant costs and manage the application procedures.

Secondly, the Scheme ceased to accept new applications on 31 December 2023 (see Note 6) and thus could no longer benefit more existing buildings. According to the 2024 Survey on the Charging Habits of Electric Vehicle Users in Hong Kong conducted by the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (see Note 7), 28.1% of respondents said their housing estates did not meet the eligibility criteria for the subsidy. Only 10.1% had successfully applied and completed all subsidized works.

Finally, the above Scheme has failed to remove the legal obstacles arising from deed of mutual covenant restrictions. Many medium- to large-sized private housing estates, especially older ones, may contain provisions in their deeds of mutual covenant that restrict or prohibit the installation of additional power facilities. Such legal constraints cannot be overcome by financial subsidies alone, but would necessitate legislative amendments or policy exemptions to resolve.

Misplaced supplementary positioning of public charging

If the ideal of “home charging” proves elusive in the Hong Kong context, the positioning of public charging as a supplementary option is even more misaligned in view of actual utilization. The above Survey shows that nearly 75% of respondents used public chargers, while merely 14.3% charged their vehicles at their residential estates. The public charger-to-EV ratio deteriorated from 5.5:1 in 2020 to 9:1 in 2025 (see Note 8), with the supply gap continuing to widen. For EV users without access to “home charging”, what they need is not to spend six to 10 hours fully charging their cars with a medium-speed charger, but to rapidly replenish power via DC fast chargers. However, as of mid-2025, of the approximately 14,553 public chargers in Hong Kong, an overwhelming majority—9,482 units, or almost 65%—were medium-speed chargers. In contrast, quick and fast charges together numbered 2,270, accounting for less than 16% of the total public chargers (see Note 9).

Unlike Hong Kong’s “cars waiting for chargers” model, driven by incentives for private EV purchase, Shenzhen has adopted a clear “from public to private; chargers waiting for cars” strategy, starting from the high-frequency operations of public transport. In 2017, Shenzhen became the first megacity in the world to have over 16,000 electric buses. This was followed in 2018 by the complete electrification of approximately 22,000 taxis across the city (see Note 10). Through strong government leadership, a large, stable, and highly predictable market for public charging was deliberately created. This stable “basic load” serves to mitigate the investment risk and uncertainty over future returns for charging facility operators, thereby promoting a sustainable and profitable business model as well as facilitating the construction and operation of a rapid-charging network.

In contrast, the “cars waiting for chargers” model in Hong Kong leaves its public quick-charging network dependent on private EV owners, whose demand is uncertain, with low charging frequency and widely-spaced charging times. This causes significant variability in investment returns, making it difficult for market forces to initiate large-scale, systematic investments in quick-charging facilities. Nevertheless, the market potential in Hong Kong should not be underestimated. The city’s over 18,000 taxis, together with an increasingly sizeable ride-hailing fleet, also represent a substantial fleet of vehicles engaged in high-intensity daily operations.

A pragmatic way ahead for Hong Kong’s charging strategy

The SAR Government recently announced that it would earmark $300 million for the Fast Charger Incentive Scheme, with the goal of adding 3,000 fast chargers (see Note 11). This undoubtedly marks a crucial step towards a sustainable future. Going forward, the Government will increasingly play the roles of a “system designer” and a “market shaper”, guiding the behaviour of market participants and fostering the healthy self-operation of the market. For instance, promoting the electrification of taxis is intended to create predictable demand; planning community charging hubs helps optimize the spatial distribution of supply; and exploring ways to streamline the approval procedures for owners’ corporations, or providing them with standardized guidelines, is aimed at removing institutional barriers.

By shifting the policy from “giving a fish” to “teaching to fish”, the policy outcomes will be more sustainable and effective in utilizing limited public resources to fundamentally resolve the predicament of charging in Hong Kong. This will transform the city into a proactive leader spearheading industry development and a “global showcase” for smart mobility and green energy management solutions.

Note 1: First registration tax concessions for electric vehicles: If the application criteria are met, a registered owner of private cars may consider arranging to scrap and de-register his/her “old private car” and then first registering a “replacement electric private car” under his/her own name within the effective period of the “One-for-One Replacement” Scheme (i.e. 28 February 2018 to 31 March 2026, both dates inclusive) to enjoy a higher first registration tax concession.

Note 2: Table 4.4, Monthly Traffic and Transport Digest, Transport Department, Hong Kong SAR Government

Note 3: Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong SAR Government: Hong Kong Major Public EV Chargers Reference Database; Shenzhen Municipal Development and Reform Commission: As of the end of June 2025, Shenzhen had put into operation 1,057 fast-charging stations and over 487,000 charging piles.

Note 4: Table 4.4, Monthly Traffic and Transport Digest, Transport Department, Hong Kong SAR Government

Note 5: EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme step-by-step guide, Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong SAR Government; 深圳市福田區發展與改革局：先可透過「南網線上」APP或小程式進行線上申請充電樁用電報表安裝，需提供身分證明資料、物業產權合法證明資料（車位產權所屬證明或充電樁用電地址物權管理單位出具的安裝同意書），透過申請後供電局將現場裝填。

Note 6: Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong SAR Government: The funding earmarked for the applications received under the EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme (EHSS) had reached the $3.5 billion funding ceiling, and the application period for the EHSS was closed on 31 December 2023.

Note 7: Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions (HKFTU): The HKFTU team of legislative councillors and the Hong Kong Electric Vehicle Charging Concern Group call on the SAR Government to enhance EV-charging infrastructure to help Hong Kong achieve carbon neutrality. Survey on the Charging Habits of Electric Vehicle Users in Hong Kong.

Note 8: Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong SAR Government: Hong Kong Major Public EV Chargers Reference Database, June 2025

Note 9: Environmental Protection Department, Hong Kong SAR Government: Hong Kong Major Public EV Chargers Reference Database, June 2025

Note 10: 深圳政府線上深圳特區報/生態環境部宣傳教育中心：《深圳「綠色公車」模式將在189個國家推廣》、《深圳：提供城市公共服務領域機動車電動化的「中國方案」》

Note 11: Environment and Ecology Bureau: The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address announced that the Government would earmark $300 million for the Fast Charger Incentive Scheme, with the target of providing 3,000 fast chargers to support 16,000 more electric vehicles. It is expected that all fast chargers will be put into service gradually from 2026 to the end of 2028.