Ministry of Power Pushes for Promotion of Electric Bikes

Power Division has pushed for the promotion of e-bikes in Pakistan amid soaring fuel prices and crippling inflation.

According to details, the division has submitted a constitution proposal that seeks a comprehensive plan regarding the promotion of electric bikes. It noted that, as of late, bikes are consuming $3 billion of fuel per year.

Power Division told Business Recorder that e-bikes would benefit Pakistan’s economy, as well as its environment by curbing excessive fuel consumption. The government is currently comparing the performance, prices, driving range, and ownership costs of petrol-powered bikes and e-bikes.

The department found out that bikes have an average fuel economy of 52 km/liter, while the daily travel average is 31 km. Furthermore, petrol-powered bikes are also a major contributor to pollution due to their carbon and noise emissions. However, given their efficiency, reliability, and affordability, people resort to buying them instead of e-bikes.

The power division highlighted the following inhibitors in the e-bike normalization:

• Non-availability of offsite charging infrastructure.
• The cost of e-bikes is much higher than its comparable competitors.
• Absence of formal sector financing products that include certain incentives from the government.
• Limited charging capacity because of the technological constraint for battery swapping.
• High cost of power.

The department has vouched for e-bike-friendly policies that could persuade people to move from petrol-powered bikes to e-bikes.