Pakistan's Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan prepares to charge an electric car. PHOTO: AFP

The viability of electric vehicles in Pakistan

The foremost hurdle to climb-over is to establish electric stations across congested metropolitan areas of the country

Muhammad Zohaib Jawaid March 12, 2021

Pakistan has its eyes anchored on a transition to electric vehicles (EVs). The government wishes to make around 100,000 cars and more than half a million two and three wheelers electric in the coming years. Given the recurring freak events (due to climate change), the government’s intentions are legitimate. The fact that air pollution takes away nearly 135,000 lives in Pakistan in a year and costs around 5-6% of the GDP validates the idea further. However, the execution of the strategy is no walk in the park. The journey is full of unidentified challenges and may demand a more exhaustive effort than what one may expect.

The awareness on how an EV is propitious for the public, as well as the nation, will augment the knowledge of the masses. But, it is not likely to trigger an urge amongst them to be a part of change. The EVs benefit the users in the long-term since the initial price differential between fuel-driven cars and an EV is nullified by a significantly less maintenance cost of the latter. Nonetheless, the consumers’ reluctance is justified until considerable work is undertaken on the infrastructure.

The foremost hurdle to climb-over is to establish electric stations across congested metropolitan areas of the country. In accordance with the Indian model, an EV station needs a minimum of three fast chargers along with two slow complementing chargers to enhance the capacity. The fast chargers would have capacities of 50kW/ 200-1000V, 50kW/ 200-1000V and 22kW/ 380-480V while the smaller ones will operate on 15 kW/ 72-200V and 10 kW/ 230V. In this way a 50 kWh DCFC charging station cost nearly INR 1.5 million which is roughly Rs. 3.2 million in Pakistan (Rs. 2.14 = 1 INR).

The incumbents plan to convert CNG stations to EV stations in the wake of minimal land availability within cities. In the first four years, Pakistan targets 3000 such stations. This will require a hefty sum of Rs. 9.6 billion. So, it is commercially viable for the government to entice private investors with tax breaks and even formulate public-private partnerships in this regard.

Dewan Motors and BMW cut the ribbon in this ambit by setting up Pakistan’s first public electric and plug-in hybrid electric charging station in Emporium Mall, Lahore in 2017. The two came up with another station a month later in Dolmen Mall, Karachi. Last year, PSO also launched its first charging station in Islamabad. The energy ministry has disclosed further 24 charging stations of PSO in the future.

A number of players are mulling coming up with electric stations. Shell and K-Electric along with BYD and Total Parco have partnered in this regard. Shell and K-Electric announced three stations at the start of this year.

However, the frequency of EV stations remains subdued. One may argue that the number of stations is proportionate to the demand but the industry will witness a considerable influx of EV models into the market once the EV policy begins to reap results. This will hike up the demand for electric stations at pace amidst modest supply. The resulting market failure may elevate already exorbitant energy prices.

Besides, the problem of limited charging stations amplifies upon incorporating the amount of time EV takes to charge and the driving range on offer upon full charge. In comparison to a fuel-based vehicle, an EV travels less than half of what the prior can navigate upon full tank on average. According to the experts, the optimal distance for an EV in Pakistan would be around 700 kilometres.

The road ahead is a bumpy one, and the EV culture becoming prevalent amongst the masses looks like a distant dream. However, in order to navigate past these challenges amicably, the setting up of the charging stations should be the foremost priority.

WRITTEN BY:
Muhammad Zohaib Jawaid

The writer is a graduate of IBA, Karachi. He has a keen interest in political economy and financial markets, and he tweets at @zohaib_jawaid.

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (6)

MalikSaabSays | 3 years ago | Reply

Who s is the expert who said 700km is the range requirement We have had CNG vehicles here that have hardly 200km range and they ve been plying since long. What is needed are PHEVs or mid range EVs with a range extender. Passenger cars spend most of the time in city. 200kms is more than enough for that with overnight home charging which according to research extends battery life too. The best right now for Pakistan would be for the govt to partner with domestic entrepreneurs and finally take the plunge to develop domestic automotive manufacturing base. A true Pakistani owned brand has all the fruits that the country and it s people need. Who will invest Kon bnega crorepati....

Bilal Aziz | 3 years ago | Reply

Please write another article about explaining import formalities for EV cars.

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