Govt mulls relaxing restrictions on EV features including remote parking

The government is considering relaxing restrictions on the use of deployed features of electric vehicles (EVs), including remote smart parking, according to the Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai hung.

Speaking at a Legislative Council meeting on Wednesday, Lam stated that the current regulations prohibit all vehicles, including EVs, from displaying information other than driving data on the visual display screen in front of the driver's seat.

Drivers are also prohibited from using a mobile device to remotely park a vehicle. 

Lam highlighted that the government plans to submit legislative amendments this year to introduce these two functions for drivers while ensuring road safety.

Meanwhile, lawmaker Duncan Chiu Tat-kun expressed concern that the amendment of regulations has been delayed for two years since authorities indicated they would relax those functions in November 2022.

Lam responded that the amendments scheduled for 2023 were postponed due to the related work spanning various technical fields, as electric vehicle technology is rapidly evolving.

He believed that the government and the industry should maintain close communication to expedite the amendment process when new EV functions are introduced in Hong Kong.