Charging should be everybody's priority now, particularly in Hong Kong. EV charging enabling our car parks is not a simple task, but Hong Kong has solved this problem before and we can do it again.
Back in the 60s and 70s, when air conditioning first arrived in Hong Kong, none of our buildings could support the power demand, and the electricity providers didn't have enough generation capacity. CLP, HKE, and building management worked together to solve that problem; so that today around 40% of our electricity consumption is air conditioning related.
Nowadays, we have better technology, and are better able to plan and implement the improvements necessary for universal charging. Intelligent load management and flexible metering arrangements are the key to this, and both technologies are available today. The best place to charge your electric vehicle is at your home / work parking garage. Such long-duration charging is more flexible and can use lower power circuits, when compared to opportunistic charging. This also opens up the possibility of Vehicle-To-Grid and how we can use these vehicle batteries as a resource to flatten out peak loads on our electricity grid.
Hong Kong has a limited road network and limited cross-border traffic. Without range anxiety, it is the ideal environment for electric vehicles of all types. Our rail networks have been electrified, as has our MTR system. We even have electric trams. It is time to get serious about electrification of road transportation (not just private cars, but commercial such as public transportation, limousines, tour coaches, and delivery vehicles). It is time to make charging our priority.
Hong Kong has some of the worst air quality in the world. All those diesel and petrol vehicles burning oil at street level is the primary cause of roadside air pollution, and electrification of our transportation fleet is the solution to that.