As Islamabad looks to Beijing to work with it to establish industrial zones for the production of electronic vehicles, the media said Wednesday that China’s ADM Group would invest $250 million to establish an electric vehicle manufacturing unit in Pakistan.

With an even more ambitious target of 90 percent by 2040, the Pakistani government established the National Electric Vehicles Policy (NEVP) in 2019 with the goal of having 30 percent of all passenger cars and heavy-duty trucks be electric by 2030.

By 2030, the policy aimed to achieve 50% of new sales for two- and three-wheelers and buses, and by 2040, 90%.

As part of the Special Investment Facilitation Council’s efforts to draw in foreign investment, Radio Pakistan reported that the Chinese company ADM Group had announced an investment of $250 million to establish an EV manufacturing plant in Pakistan.

“The switch to EVs is anticipated to save billions of dollars by reducing the cost of fuel imports.”

More than 3,000 electric vehicle charging stations will be installed throughout Pakistan, a South Asian nation, as part of ADM Group’s $350 million investment in the EV industry last year.

Pakistan announced earlier this month that, as part of its ongoing energy sector reform aimed at increasing demand, it would reduce the power rate for operators of electric vehicle charging stations by 45 percent.

Additionally, financial programs for e-bikes and the conversion of gasoline-powered two- and three-wheeled vehicles are planned by the government.

On January 15, the government approved a lower tariff of 39.70 rupees ($0.14) per unit, which will take effect in a month. The previous tariff was 71.10 rupees.

The government anticipates that investors in the industry will see an internal rate of return of over 20 percent.

There are currently over 30 million two- and three-wheeled cars in Pakistan, and they use more than $5 billion worth of petroleum each year, according to a report that Power Ministry adviser Ammar Habib Khan provided to the government and that was covered by Reuters.

The paper estimates that the ministry will save around $165 million in gasoline import expenses each year by converting 1 million two-wheelers to electric motorcycles in a first phase, at an estimated net cost of 40,000 rupees per bike.

In September, BYD Pakistan, a joint venture between China’s BYD and the Pakistani automaker Mega Motors, informed Reuters that, in accordance with international goals, up to 50% of all vehicles purchased in Pakistan by 2030 will be electrified in some way.

The total registered voter count in Pakistan has exceeded 132.6 million, as reported by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The current official count is 132,668,515 voters, exhibiting a significant gender distribution.

The overall number of male voters is 71,275,222, whereas female voters comprise 61,393,293. The distribution of registered voters by province is as follows:

Islamabad: 1,170,844 registered voters
Balochistan: 5,437,699 registered voters
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 22,589,371 registered voters
Punjab: 75,545,995 registered voters
Sindh: 27,824,070 registered voters

Province-wise registered voters

Data Visualization  

The Punjab cabinet has sanctioned a modification to Section 24 of the Motor car Ordinance Act 1965 to streamline car registration procedures, permitting motor vehicle owners to register their vehicles in any district within the province.

Previously, under Section 24, vehicle owners were required to register their automobiles in their domicile district. The change grants Punjab people the liberty to register their vehicles in any district of their preference.

A representative for the Excise and Taxation Department emphasized that registration numbers are being issued under a standardized series throughout Punjab.

The spokesperson stressed that there are no limits on car movement across provinces, hence facilitating mobility for people of Punjab.

Recently, the Punjab government sanctioned a substantial alteration in its car registration policy, intended to mitigate tax evasion and enhance security. Under the new policy, citizens of Punjab were prohibited from registering their vehicles in other provinces or in Islamabad.

The Punjab cabinet confirmed the decision, which was endorsed by the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department. Excise officials have consistently voiced apprehensions regarding the prevalent habit among Punjab residents of registering their vehicles outside the province, frequently in adjacent areas or the federal capital, to evade local taxation.