ISLAMABAD         -        Pakistan’s electric vehicle (EV) market is widely favoured and attracted by Chinese companies as it would lead to greener and environment-friendly Pakistan, Gwadar Pro reported quoting experts. They said that developing EVs in Pakistan is a potential solution for the country both in terms of improving the quality of the environment and making full use of electricity. Prof. Zaffar while talking to Gwadar Pro, noted that the transport sector contributes almost 43% to the total airborne emissions in the country.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has surplus electricity generation capacity, resulting in accumulation of a large sum of capacity payments. “Electric mobility has become indispensable for Pakistan,” said Prof. nauman. Under such situation, there is a need to introduce non-seasonal and flexible loads, and EVs have emerged as an effective solution.

A number of Chinese companies including Chery, MG, Changan, BAIC and Haval have also been making a push in recent years for the EV transport in Pakistan. Many favourable factors, such as the Pakistani government’s supportive attitude towards EV, have contributed to the development of the national EV policy.

In Pakistan, EV manufacturing will need to rely strongly on imports in the short term due to the limited capacity of local manufacturers to develop various modules/components of EVs, especially batteries and battery cells.

Prof. nauman Zaffar, Director of Energy and Power Systems Cluster and the national Incubation Centre, told the media that the price of the battery in a BEV constitutes almost half of the price of the vehicle. “The supply chain of materials used in manufacturing of batteries for EVs is highly competitive with China occupying a significant market share. This presents a valuable opportunity for Pakistani auto manufacturers to collaborate with their Chinese counterparts in battery cell manufacturing, which can help bring down the upfront purchase price of EVs.