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Are Electric Cars Viable for Pakistani Consumers?
  Sep 01, 2023     talha seo  

Are Electric Cars Viable for Pakistani Consumers?

EVs (Electric Vehicles) are the way of the future. Every automotive manufacturer is spending extensively in EVs, and it is expected that in a few years, electric vehicles will reach the same level of production as gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles. The majority of automakers have already stated their plans to transition to all-electric vehicles, abandoning the manufacturing and development of gasoline-powered vehicles. By 2035, it is expected that practically all major passenger car manufacturing will be electrified across the world, however the question is whether or not third-world markets will profit from the EV revolution.

In Pakistan, the government's efforts to introduce electric vehicles have long been perplexing. It declares huge EV relaxations at one point, but the advantages are quickly revoked. The government, for example, had previously intended to make it easier to import electric cars by lowering the import duty to 5%, but in a policy reversal stated in the supplementary budget bill, the EV import duty has been raised to 17%.

In 2020, when Pakistan's first electric car policy was being developed, we saw a similar tug of struggle between the two ministries. This is mostly due to the government's apparent inability to keep two women satisfied at the same time. The Chinese, who have gained a lot of clout as a result of CPEC-related initiatives, are in favor of promoting EVs since that's where they thrive. The Japanese, on the other hand, who have been effectively dominating and managing the local car sector for decades, have spent extensively in hybrids and are well behind their Chinese, European, and American competitors in the EV race.

So it's understandable that the Japanese firms would want us to choose hybrids over EVs, which is perhaps why we're informed that a transition to hybrids is required before going on to all-electric vehicles. The current policy shuffle is likely due to the same reason: if you try to please the Chinese, the Japanese will grumble, and vice versa.

It will be fascinating to watch whether EVs, or more precisely, electric passenger cars, will make it to Pakistan in their whole. However, there are several aspects to electric cars that users should be aware of. Obviously, electric vehicles have their own set of advantages, but their use and our driving habits will have to change from those of regular gasoline-powered automobiles.

 

talha seo