Lawmaker Che Sai Wang has noted contradictions in the government’s measures that aim to promote the use of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Macau.
In a spoken inquiry delivered at the Legislative Assembly (AL), the lawmaker referenced recent measures by the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) that aim to replace small scooters with two-stroke engines with electric versions, and called for more coordinated measures between government departments to ensure that the promotion of EVs is effective.
Che said that while the government is offering several benefits, including a subsidy of MOP3,500 for each vehicle successfully replaced by an EV, there are no visible signs of progress regarding the number of charging stations. In addition, the lawmaker considers the subsidy amount too low to attract the interest of many users.
“Electric motorcycles are expensive, ranging from tens to hundreds of thousands of patacas, and the amount of the subsidy is not enough to encourage owners to replace their motorcycles,” the lawmaker said.
“In addition, according to the data of the ‘Plan for the installation of equipment for charging electric vehicles in public car parks,’ there are only two free charging stations for motorcycles located on the Macau Peninsula, which is quite inconvenient for motorcyclists from other areas of Macau,” he added.
Adding to the problem, the lawmaker hinted that even if the subsidy offered by the government would interest a large number of old motorcycle owners, this would also be a problem as according to the DSPA’s figures, the measure targets up to 7,650 motorcycles that would be required to share a very small number of charging stations.
Citing statistics from the Statistics and Census Bureau from December 31, 2021, Che said that the 326 electric motorcycles in Macau already experience problems with the limited number of charging stations. This problem is likely to be aggravated by the exponential growth of this EVs under the DSPA’s measures.
For the lawmaker, successful implementation of such a measure can only be done through the significant improvement of complementary facilities for both electric-powered cars and motorcycles.
Additionally, it should be complemented with an increase in the benefits and subsidies to be granted to the vehicle owners on acquisition of an EV, especially if it involves the trading-in of a fossil-fuel-powered vehicle.
