Islamabad, Sep 7: EVs up to 50% of all vehicles purchased in Pakistan by 2030 would be electrified in some way, according to BYD Pakistan, a collaboration between Chinese automaker BYD and Pakistani automaker Mega Motors.
Last month, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD, funded by Warren Buffett, announced its entry into Pakistan, making the 250-million-person South Asian country one of its newest markets.
The collaboration has stated that it will unveil three models in August before introducing cars for sale later this year. It also wants to construct an assembly plant in early 2026.
In an interview with Reuters on Thursday at his office, Kamran Kamal, the BYD spokesperson for Pakistan, stated, “I see conversion to new energy vehicles (NEV) at up to 50%.” Mega Motors is owned by Hub Power, of which Kamal serves as CEO.
The target is an ambitious one for Pakistan’s auto sector, which has been largely dominated by Japanese automakers Toyota, Honda and Suzuki, with vehicle sales hitting a 15-year low in the fiscal year to June.
Sales of hybrid electric vehicles have increased over 100% in Pakistan within the last 12 months. Although it is possible to achieve 30% NEV adoption by 2030, obstacles related to infrastructure may make it more difficult to achieve 50%, according to Muhammad Abrar Polani, an auto sector expert at Arif Habib Limited.
Initially, BYD Pakistan will offer fully assembled cars, which will incur greater import taxes than cars that are imported as components and put together locally.
