The government is planning to install five new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations on highways and expressways across Pakistan.
According to the details, the locations include:
- Rashakai Service Area (Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway, M-1)
- Tandliyanwala Service Area (Lahore-Islamabad Motorway, M-3)
- Dandewal Service Area (Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad, Khanewal Motorway, M-4)
- Khanewal Service Area (Pindi Bhattian-Faisalabad, Khanewal Motorway, M-4)
- Hazara Service Area (Hassanabdal-Havelian Expressway E-35)
Additionally, the government has also set up an EV charging station at the Bhera Service Area. Other fuel stations along the highway network will also install EV charging stations to catalyze EV normalization across Pakistan.
Researchers at LUMS highlighted in their report the challenges and opportunities of EV adoption, stating:
To reduce ‘range-anxiety’ in the adoption of contemporary electric cars in Pakistan, there are almost 85 places across M-1, M-2, M-3, M-4, M-5, M-9, and N-5 suitable for the building of DC-fast charging infrastructure for Electric Vehicles.
It bears mentioning that Pakistan vowed to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2030 and is a signatory to the Paris Climate Agreement. While the state promotes EVs, people remain reluctant due to their cost and the lack of charging infrastructure, even in big cities.
