Cotai EV supercharging station coming by mid-year

With the number of electric vehicles across Macau growing significantly, authorities have stated that they are working to complete and open the supercharging station currently under construction in Cotai by the middle of this year.

According to official statistics on newly registered vehicles, electric light passenger vehicles and electric motorcycles each now account for nearly half of all new registrations. As of February 2022, the total number of electric motorcycles in the SAR stood at just 390; by February of this year, that figure had risen to nearly 6,700 – an increase of approximately 17-fold.

Notably, the proportion of residents choosing electric motorcycles when purchasing a motorcycle has increased from about 2% to nearly 50%, while the number of available brands has grown from 10 brands offering 20 models to 49 brands covering 149 models.

Earlier this year, the government hinted at plans to launch a pilot project for a supercharging station for light and heavy-duty vehicles near Rua da Patinagem in Cotai by mid-year, with a total of seven charging units to be installed – four for light-duty vehicles and three for heavy-duty vehicles.

The government has noted its expectation that light-duty vehicles will be able to achieve a range of 300 to 400 kilometers after just five to 10 minutes of charging.

According to the Public Works Bureau (DSOP) website, the project will be located on land south of Rua da Patinagem, covering an area of approximately 1,200 square meters.

The contract for the design and construction work was awarded at a cost of approximately MOP4.928 million, with a construction period of 120 working days.

Authorities said more fast chargers and dual-mode motorcycle charging stations will be installed in Macau’s public parking lots, adding that a detailed analysis of charging patterns will guide adjustments to the fast-to-slow charging ratio for electric vehicles under this year’s work plan.

Meanwhile, according to recent official estimates, the primary sources of carbon emissions in Macau are electricity generation and land transportation, which together account for over 80% of total emissions.

In response, authorities have drafted a plan to increase the proportion of clean energy in imported electricity to 50% and aim to achieve carbon neutrality in imported electricity by 2050, thereby further increasing the share of clean energy.