EV buses to operate on night routes

Fully electric-powered (EV) buses will begin operating in Macau, particularly on night routes, announced the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raymond Tam, at the Legislative Assembly late last week.

In response to several lawmakers’ questions related to an initial inquiry from lawmaker Lam Lon Wai regarding long-term planning for local transport and the implementation of the “green transport strategy,” Tam explained that buses powered solely by electricity would begin service in Macau, primarily on the night routes.

“We are planning to deploy full EV buses, particularly on the night routes, due to their advantages in reducing noise and their easier charging requirements, given the frequency of these routes,” Tam explained.

Several lawmakers questioned the government’s strategy on the matter. Ron Lam once again accused the government of enforcing a “false green strategy” by allowing public bus operators to use electric buses with extended autonomy, “pretending” that these vehicles are environmentally friendly when, in reality, they are not.

The system relies on a fossil fuel-powered generator to produce electricity to charge the buses’ batteries, enabling continuous operation. As Lam noted, these power generators are not subject to the emissions restrictions imposed on road vehicles, which, in many cases, leads to significant exhaust gas emissions, all while claiming the buses are “green vehicles.”

Another concern raised by Lam Lon Wai was the issue of charging EV motorcycles.
According to Lam, residents are hesitant to switch to EV motorcycles because charging can be challenging. Most of the existing charging stations follow international standards, which differ from Chinese standards, forcing users to rely on adaptors.

Tam responded that of the 600 charging stations for motorcycles in public parking lots, 200 follow the National [China] standard.

“We are installing more multi-purpose equipment that allows charging for both systems. We also requested that CEM [Companhia de Electricidade de Macau] survey the use of charging stations in parking lots to identify areas with greater demand for [national standard] plugs. If needed, we can convert more stations to national standards. However, all new charging stations are already compatible with both systems,” Tam confirmed.