Does Macao need an EV charging system?

For starters, he believes Macao needs to optimise its EV charging systems. The city currently has 200 charging spaces across 42 public car parks and seven streets, according to the Macau Electricity Company (CEM), Macao’s sole energy service provider.

Are EVs a greener option for Macao?

Despite the potential pitfalls, Hongcai Zhang, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Macau, believes that EVs are a much greener option for Macao than petrol cars in the long run, since they will be increasingly powered from electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

Is Macao a good place to drive an EV?

Macao is uniquely suited for EVs due to its size. In a 2021 research project, Zhang and his team found that the average Macao driver does not exceed 10,000 kilometres per year, or 27 kilometres per day. “For many families, it would be enough to charge their EVs one or two times a week,” says Zhang. “EVs are perfect for a small city like Macao.”

How many private charging stations are there in Macao?

As a result, only 130 private charging stations have been installed in Macao over the past five years. Leong has asked the government to help install charging stations in more public spaces and even help residents install them in private car parks.

Will more Macao Residents move to an electric-powered future?

EV advocate Leong believes that with a better charging system and bigger availability of charging spaces, more Macao residents will be motivated to shift to an electric-powered future. But he realises there is much work to be done.

Does China's Energy Strategy work for Macao?

According to the National Energy Administration of China, the share of clean and renewable energy in China’s electricity generation has almost doubled over the past decade, surging from 13 per cent in 2011 to 24.3 per cent in 2020. This bodes well for Macao. “Developing solar and wind energy has become China’s core energy strategy,” he says.