Adviser stresses expediting electric vehicles introduction

KARACHI: Introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) will be a game-changer for Pakistan in terms of saving billions of dollars on oil import bill, while helping slowing down environmental degradation not only locally, but also globally, an adviser said on Thursday.

“The EVs have started penetrating all over the world and Pakistan must also embrace the technological shift to reduce carbon emissions and subsequently reduce aggravating climate change,” said Malik Amin Aslam, Federal Minister for Climate Change at an interaction with EV industry stakeholders.

The event was organised by Pakistan Electric Vehicles & Parts Manufacturers and Traders Association (PEVMA) organised at a local hotel.

Earlier this month, the federal cabinet approved an ambitious national Electric Vehicles (EV) Policy which targets converting 30 percent of four- and tri-wheelers in the country into electric vehicles. However, new EV players are waiting for government SROs to be issued so that the process of introducing EVs could start in the country.

Ehtesham Ul Haq, chairman PEVMA, said, “It was high time that Pakistan inducted and enforces EV transportation in Pakistan, as the country was purchasing fuel of around $14 billion (in year fiscal year 2019), thus burning the valuable foreign exchange earned with such a difficulty in the competitive contemporary world”.

PEVMA Vice Chairman Mohammad Ayaz said “In order to help the government in induction of the EV in the transportation system of the country, it was resolved to formulate a body for the purpose to guide the relevant ministry and authorities in implementation of the policy in its true spirit and style”.

Shaukat Qureshi, General Secretary PEVMA, said, “We understand the logic, as our auto sector has been totally dominated by the Japanese brands”.

“Toyota, the world auto giant, has for the first time signed agreement on November 7, 2019, to develop electric vehicles with BYD, the world largest electric vehicles manufacturer, with 44 plants around the globe employing 250,000 personals, with turnover of $250 billion,” Qureshi added.