Electric vehicles in Pakistan — trends and developments - video Dailymotion

DW (English)

Electromobility in Pakistan is growing rapidly. Extreme air pollution and high fuel costs are driving the trend towards EVs. Now BYD, the world's largest EV manufacturer, is expanding into the Pakistani market – a milestone for sustainable mobility.

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00:00The streets of Karachi are gearing up for a major change on the mobility front.

00:05This is a showroom for BYD, the world's largest EV manufacturer.

00:10For now, all the cars on display are imported from China,

00:13like this one, priced at nearly 9 million rupees, or close to 30,000 euros.

00:19A luxury product for the super rich.

00:22When Pakistanis are going out to buy a vehicle,

00:25they're not only looking for a mode of transportation,

00:28they're actually investing in an asset.

00:30I think in the recent time, we see, we come across a lot of enthusiastic customers

00:36that like our cars for the technology and the features that it brings.

00:42You know, the voice recognition that it offers, the luxury that it has.

00:47It's a similar story at the showroom run by MG Motors Pakistan,

00:51one of the first EV providers in the country.

00:54Its key car components, like engines and batteries, also come from China.

00:59MG Pakistan is majority owned by Shanghai-based auto giant SAIC.

01:04I can say safely, people don't buy EV cars for the environment, that's for sure.

01:14Environment is least of their concern.

01:18Most of these customers, they're the people who adopt technology faster than anyone around.

01:24So they're in for the speed.

01:28EVs generally have a high torque.

01:31So they're in for the kick, if you can say.

01:34But on the streets, EVs are few and far between.

01:38The market is still in its infancy.

01:42I would not buy an EV.

01:44They're not suitable where we live.

01:47The Chinese EVs operate via charging, so they consume less fuel.

01:53The vehicles are very nice, and some of my friends have bought them.

01:56We want to buy Chinese EVs, but at the moment, there's a problem with infrastructure,

02:07and the prices are too high for ordinary consumers.

02:13The average household per capita income in Pakistan is under 600 euros.

02:18The expensive new EVs are still largely status symbols, with many sitting unused in the garage.

02:24What people are doing is that they own, the higher income group even,

02:30they own an electric vehicle, even a four-wheeler,

02:33and then they have a traditional vehicle in place as well.

02:36And they do not, you know, utilize their electric vehicle for a long route or an intercity travel,

02:42because that range anxiety still exists,

02:45and the lack of infrastructure for charging also exists there.

02:49But now that's set to change.

02:52Pakistan's government wants to electrify mobility, and for good reason.

02:58Measured by particulate matter, Pakistan has some of the worst air quality worldwide.

03:04In megacities like Karachi or Lahore, the pollution is especially harmful to health,

03:08and studies show a large share of the problem is caused by cars and other vehicles,

03:15prompting policymakers to announce new goals for e-mobility.

03:18The government is aiming that the new vehicle sales, that are the new energy vehicle sales,

03:25will be 30% by 2030 again, but 90% by 2040,

03:30and we are also aiming to go completely zero-emission vehicle fleet by 2060.

03:37However, the most commonly used vehicles in Pakistan are scooters and motorcycles.

03:42Fewer than one in 40 Pakistanis owns a car.

03:45But the first steps are now being taken to get motorcycles and scooters going electric.

03:52One reason, the high cost of gasoline.

03:54Pakistanis is an import-dependent economy.

03:58On the oil prices front, the petrol prices have gone significantly higher.

04:02And there's also numbers that states that approximately 40% of our fuel is being consumed by the transport sector itself.

04:14Those high fuel prices can make e-bikes a cost-effective option,

04:19despite the initial price tag being two or even three times that of their gasoline-powered counterparts.

04:25Still, only 1% of new registrations are electric, a long way short of the government's 30% goal.

04:33That said, Pakistanis largest motorcycle manufacturer is planning to launch its first e-model this summer.

04:41And the first electric rickshaws are already on the market.

04:45They come in a variety of models, some also designed to serve as ambulances or garbage trucks.

04:52And promisingly, they're not imported end products.

04:58They're made in Pakistan.

05:00It's designed and developed in Pakistan by SASGAR.

05:04The battery and motor are imported.

05:06But the rest of the rickshaw that you see is all made in Pakistan.

05:12Local production is also what BYD is aiming for.

05:16The Chinese EV giant has plans to build a plant in Pakistan and hopes to boost demand for cars there.

05:23When you look at the penetration in the market, there's a huge gap that still remains in terms of the population

05:32and the density of vehicles per capita.

05:36So the idea is to increase car ownership in Pakistan.

05:40Electric cars, of course.

05:42But whether this is a climate-friendly objective depends on the energy mix.

05:46In Pakistan, about 40% of electricity is still generated from fossil fuels.

05:52But the weather is ideal for solar energy.

05:55That could help electrify mobility, too, if the infrastructure is expanded.

05:59Currently, there are still relatively few fast-charging stations.

06:05Experts claim that what matters now is targeted investment from private investors and perhaps also with international funding.

06:17So Pakistan recently introduced its carbon trading emission policy.

06:21The EV sector in Pakistan is an opportunity for the investors to invest in Pakistan and earn carbon credits through it.

06:31What do you think?

06:32Should luxury vehicles count as green objects just because they run on electricity?

06:38How can Pakistan reform its mobility in a way that benefits everyone

06:42or at least provides cleaner air in the megacities?

06:45Where do you think?

06:4852 zooms are a publicüler company that can help expand some projects like that?

06:48No!

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06:50No!

06:50No.

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07:00No.

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Electric vehicles in Pakistan — trends and developments

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