Two Pakistani companies showcase first electric vehicle

FAISALABAD: The Sitara Engineers, in collaboration with the Tesla Industries, has introduced the first electric commercial vehicle (ECV) in Pakistan.

At a ceremony held here on Tuesday, an 11-seater minibus and a cargo van with one-ton load capacity, solar charging station and AC chargers were exhibited. Addressing the ceremony, Sitara Chemicals CEO Mian Muhammad Idris, Sira Engineers CEO Naazul Haq and Tesla Industries CEO Amir Hussain said the rising fuel price hike and pollution necessitated the use of electric vehicles. They said the ECV cost per kilometre was up to Rs 3.5 per kilometre. Initially, these ECMs are being imported from China, but their assembly would start in Pakistan in a year or two.

They said charging facilities for these vehicles are being put in place on motorway and various other areas of the country, while a charging station would go operational this month. They called upon the government to act on the basis of original policy draft instead of changing it again and again if it wants electric vehicles plying on roads by 2030.