Pakistan will assemble Electric Car this year: Hammad Azhar

Energy Minister Hammad Azhar expressed hope that Pakistan will begin the local assembly of electric vehicles (EVs) this year.

Speaking at a consultative workshop on “Increasing Electric Mobility in Pakistan,” co-hosted by the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA) and UNDP, the minister stated that the government implemented its first national EV policy last year and announced new incentives to encourage EV adoption. According to him, the government has lowered customs charges and sales taxes on EVs, which will assist expedite the shift to cleaner, more efficient mobility.

According to the minister, the function of EV charging infrastructure is crucial. As a result, he stated, a large and inexpensive public charging infrastructure network was required to sustain a thriving EV industry. “There are certain particular obstacles that we have had to confront to achieve our electric transportation goals,” stated the minister. First, we needed to provide a consistent power supply to charge these EVs, which would necessitate an update to the grid and distribution system.

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He said that the assembly of electric motorcycles has already started in the country. As it is a new technology and requires charging infrastructure, he said that the private sector has also started to develop charging infrastructure in the country. He said that the government will completely help the private sector in this respect.

The minister stated that establishing a legislative framework was important to simplify the construction of charging stations for electric vehicles around the country. He encouraged NEECA and other relevant bodies to simplify the task of charging infrastructure development regulation, standardization, and licensing policy. He said that not only would this save billions of dollars in oil import expenses, but it would also help manage pollution in cities and absorb the country’s surplus electricity.
The minister commended NEECA and UNDP on their collaboration in this area of Pakistan’s road transport electrification.