Sazgar to launch Pakistan’s first hybrid electric car

‘Haval’ to be launched on November 17, 2022

KARACHI:

Leading rickshaw manufacturer, Sazgar Engineering Works Limited (SEWL) announced on Wednesday that it will be launching Pakistan’s first locally assembled hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) under the brand name ‘Haval’ on November 17, 2022.

In a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), the company said, “We are pleased to inform you that the company has successfully assembled/ manufactured locally the first Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) of Pakistan and is being launched under brand ‘Haval’ as of November 17.”

The global SUV brand, ‘Haval’, is one of four brands belonging to Chinese automaker, Great Wall Motors (GWM) and entered the Pakistani market via Sazgar Engineering Works Limited (SEWL) early 2021.

In July 2021, the company was awarded “Category-A, Greenfield Investment status,” to assemble/manufacture Haval vehicles in addition to the ‘BAIC’ vehicles already being produced. Subsequently, in June this year, Sazgar announced the completion of its manufacturing plant where the Haval would be assembled/manufactured. They further stated that trials would be complete by October 1, 2022.

In August, however, the company released another notification to the PSX announcing that it had completed its trial operations before the stipulated time and that the first CKD rollout of the said vehicles was expected within the same month.

In 2020, the government approved the Electric Vehicle Policy 2020-25, aiming to see electric vehicles capture 30% of all passenger vehicles and heavy-duty truck sales by 2030, and 90% by 2040.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17^th, 2022.

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