Image from YouTube |
After watching the video below posted by a member of the Tesla Motors Club, I discover this great channel on YouTube which is highly recommended. Great for listening practice and tonnes of English words to learn.
I have also included the Chinese version for your reference.
I'm not going to say much in this post, except the following:
Dr. Fernando Cheung is really unintelligent and he should learn more about the EV productions and battery recycling first before making his points. He should read what I have included below or go read some articles from Tesla Motors Club. There are tonnes of members who have done their research for you, you just need to click and read up.
Dr. Kwok Ka-ki might as well stop using his smartphones and tablets, or even start suggesting taxing smart devices users in Hong Kong because with one more electric device, there will be more greenhouse gases emitted, and there will be energy loss in the process of making it, energy loss in transmission, bla bla bla... Mind him, the total electricity used in the entire Hong Kong is many times more than the electricity used in EVs! Considering the smartphone penetration in Hong Kong is 87%!!! As for Norway, quoting from The Guardian,
"Battery-powered cars in the world's fourth richest country are not just exempt from high rates of purchase tax, and VAT, but pay no road and ferry tolls or parking fees, cost less to insure and can be charged up for free electricity from thousands of points. Local government will also subsidise the installation of charging points in homes. Research suggests the subsidies could be worth nearly £5,000 a year per car."
So FRT is nothing when compared to the EV push in Norway.
I do agree that EVs are not actually a solution to reduction of greenhouse gases, green energy is, and that's why Tesla works with sister company SolarCity to install solar panels everywhere in the States. Hong Kong government should really do something with green energy, then the EVs will truly be green. Which gasoline vehicle can truly be green? None! None!
Every car produces certain level of pollution during manufacturing, and I say "every car", so do not target the EVs. EV batteries can become pollutants if not well-handled, like every part of gasoline vehicle, but for one thing, EV batteries can be recycled in an contained environment to minimise pollution. You tell me, which parts of the gas vehicle batteries can be recycled?
FRT waiver does not mean the Hong Kong government is using tax payers' money to subsidize the EV buyers, it just means that the government is not going to earn the buyers' money as tax.
Resources:
Council meeting(2014/03/26)-III.Motions:Resolution under the Motor Veh.(1st Reg.Tax)Ord. @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfB7YCCnYfM
立法會會議 (2014/03/26) - III. 議案: 根據《汽車(首次登記稅)條例》動議的擬議決議案 @ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXXT_mH0jNE
TMC Community @ Tesla Motors Club
http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/forumdisplay.php/85-TMC-Community
iPhone doesn’t really use more power than fridge @ MarketWatch
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/iphone-uses-100-times-less-electricity-than-fridge-2013-08-20
Tesla's Closed Loop Battery Recycling Program @ Blog | Tesla Motors
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/teslas-closed-loop-battery-recycling-program
Norway has fallen in love with electric cars – but the affair is coming to an end @ Environment | theguardian.com
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/29/norway-electric-cars-sale