A Preliminary Feasibility Study of Electric Taxi Promotion in Hong Kong—Behavior Modelling of Driving Patterns and Preferences

Abstract

In 2013, the first electric taxis were launched in Hong Kong. In 2021, the HKSAR government announced that no new registration of fuel-propelled private cars, including hybrid vehicles, will be granted by the year 2035. Local public policies have shown a breakthrough milestone in the passenger transport sector and fostered the development of a smart city in Hong Kong as an international metropolis. This paper aims to study the feasibility of gradually introducing electric vehicles (EVs) in the Hong Kong taxi industry in the next decade. In particular, taxi license owners’ intentions of purchasing electric vehicles for operational use and the driving behavior of taxi drivers in Hong Kong are investigated. Multiagent modelling with an integrated behavioral model is then adopted to analyze the survey data collected from 250 taxi drivers in Hong Kong, followed by interviews with industrial experts. The implications for future public policies are then discussed. To achieve emission reduction, the paper suggests a gradual, step-by-step promotion and transfer from conventional taxis to electric taxis in Hong Kong, with consideration of various factors and the interests of different stakeholders in the community.