buyers

“We now have 4 fashions to promote in Hong Kong starting from about HK$500,000 to HK$2 million. After the brand new tax regime is applied in April, we’ll have just one mannequin that permits patrons to benefit from the tax incentives,” salesman Chan mentioned.

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He was anxious that EVs would turn out to be much less interesting to patrons.

“Take an EV costing HK$900,000. Consumers will not get a concession and should pay the primary registration tax. It poses a major burden for patrons,” he mentioned.

Different trade gamers advised the Publish the modifications have been more likely to transfer patrons to contemplate lower-priced EVs, and so they pointed on the market was loads of alternative starting from mainland China-made BYD vehicles going for HK$198,000 to Japanese Nissan fashions priced at HK$269,800.

This might imply higher gross sales for Chinese language carmaker BYD’s Dolphin Dynamic Commonplace Vary.

They felt that rich patrons of top-end makes have been unlikely to be deterred by the decreased tax breaks. Among the highest-priced electrical vehicles embody the Audi Q8 e-tron 50 quattro priced at HK$1.08 million and the Porsche Taycan Turbo S going at HK$2.93 million.

The tax incentives have been launched in 2018 to assist Hong Kong’s drive to encourage EVs, with the federal government pledging to cease registering petrol-powered vehicles – together with hybrids – from 2035.

The incentives, set to run out this month, have been prolonged for 2 years however from April, the utmost first registration tax concession for electrical non-public vehicles will likely be slashed from HK$97,500 to HK$58,500.

The proportion of EVs amongst all newly registered non-public vehicles soared from solely 6.3 per cent in 2019 to 64.3 per cent within the first eight months of final 12 months, in accordance with official information.

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Tax concessions totalling HK$14 billion have been granted from February 2018 to August final 12 months.

With the newest modifications, EV tax incentives are anticipated to price the federal government HK$3.1 billion every year.

The authorities granted tax concessions to 34,445 EVs between 2020 and 2022 and virtually all patrons changed petrol-powered autos.

Tesla had the lion’s share of 23,820 EVs offered over that interval, with 70 per cent of the market, adopted by Mercedes-Benz (3,174) and BMW (1,750), Hyundai (967) and Nissan (759).

By the top of December 2023, there have been 76,395 EVs registered within the metropolis, accounting for 8.3 per cent of all autos. The Transport Division has accredited 286 EV fashions from 16 economies.

Ringo Lee Yiu-pui, honorary life president of the Hong Kong Car Affiliation, mentioned contemplating the federal government’s monetary state of affairs, the brand new tax preparations have been acceptable as EV patrons had a wider vary of decisions now.

Tesla patrons might nonetheless get tax rebates on the Mannequin 3 lengthy vary, which offered at HK$328,300, whereas those that purchased the Mannequin Y lengthy vary priced at HK391,100 would take pleasure in much less tax incentives.

“Those that purchase EVs for not more than HK$300,000 will nonetheless take pleasure in full tax reductions beneath the brand new association. Nonetheless, individuals who purchase higher-end fashions priced at over HK$500,000 additionally gained’t thoughts the shortage of tax incentives,” Lee mentioned.

“I consider the brand new preparations won’t cease motorists who wish to go inexperienced from shopping for EVs.”

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Eric Wong, chairman and CEO of Richburg Motors, the Hong Kong supplier of British marque MG Motor, was optimistic about promoting 400 EVs this month, earlier than the tax modifications kick in.

“We anticipated that the federal government would improve income by means of EV taxation and ordered extra stock,” he mentioned.

He has MG ZS fashions priced between HK$217,000 and HK$249,000 which can nonetheless be entitled to tax incentives from April.

The model additionally has a convertible electrical sports activities automobile and a seven-seater priced at greater than HK$500,000, however Wong was not involved that gross sales would hunch after April and was banking on scoring with worth and high quality.

Mercedes-Benz mentioned it welcomed the inexperienced transport initiatives and assist for brand spanking new power autos within the funds blueprint.

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It mentioned it had a variety of automobile fashions obtainable for individuals who wished to beat the March 31 deadline to benefit from the present tax incentives earlier than the modifications kicked in.

It marketed on social media that its EQB mannequin was priced at HK$499,000 and the EQE 360 mannequin was going for HK$699,000 after the present HK$287,000 tax rebate.

Alicia Yuen Man-kwan, 36, an promoting company account director, mentioned she and her husband have been contemplating switching to a Tesla EV earlier than April to keep away from paying extra when the decreased incentives kicked in.

However time was operating out as a result of they wanted a car scrapping certificates for his or her petrol-powered automobile earlier than having the ability to purchase a brand new EV beneath the federal government’s one-for-one substitute scheme.

“I remorse we didn’t do it sooner as a result of the worth distinction is sort of huge and that will likely be an enormous assist for different payments,” she mentioned.