Impacts of Policies and Infrastructure on the Usage of Electric Vehicles in Macao

Considering the fuel-switching effects of electric vehicles (EV), the Macao government has implemented policies and invested on infrastructure to encourage the purchase and adoption of EVs. Examples are tax incentives and license fee waivers for EVs in the “Environmental Protection” category, allocation of parking spaces for EVs, and installation of charging facilities. Although the number of EVs remains a small proportion of the total number of motor vehicles in Macao, it has experienced tremendous growth in the past decade. This study aims to evaluate the impacts of public policies and infrastructure on EV usage in Macao. To do so, we surveyed 114 residents on their experiences and perspectives. The Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA tests indicate no statistically significant differences due to socio-demographic characteristics – gender, age, marriage status, education level, employment status and income level. However, the Mann-Whitney U test shows statistically significant differences between peak-hour and non-peak-hour road users. The Spearman correlation analyses find that for peak-hour road users, the correlations between the need for charging facilities in private building and other locations were not strong. For non-peak-hour, non-EV users, interest to buy EVs was associated with how much they wanted to adapt to the new technology in the future. The results of this study have important policy implications. The study found that public policies (e.g. financial incentives and introduction of new brands in the EV market) could effectively impact the willingness to buy EVs. Allocation and functionality of charging facilities and parking spaces in public and private locations are areas to be improved. EV infrastructure in public locations are particularly important for weekday peak-hour commuters. Keywords: Electric vehicles, Emission, Energy policy, Fuel switching, Macao, Public infrastructure, Renewable energy, Sustainable transportation