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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