40 Electric Car Charging Stations Approved for Motorways

The government has approved setting up 40 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations along the motorways. The initial power rate for these stations will be Rs. 39.75 per unit.

This initiative aims to encourage EV use in Pakistan, focusing on making electric two and three-wheelers more accessible.

The Pakistan Banks Association (PBA), led by Zafar Masud, suggested a financing plan to support this. They proposed offering loans at a rate of Kibor plus 3% to attract banks, though it was recommended to cap it at Kibor plus 2.5%.

A debt-to-equity ratio of 80:20 was initially considered, but the chairperson suggested 70:30, aligning with State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) guidelines. The Industries Ministry’s Secretary also emphasized including insurance coverage for EVs, particularly for battery theft.

A working group will identify charging station locations with input from the Ministries of Communication, Power, Petroleum, and the Federal Board of Revenue.

The National Highway Authority (NHA) has already marked service areas every 120 km from Peshawar to Karachi as possible sites for these stations.

Oil marketing companies (OMCs) are willing to provide these stations with power connections. This plan aims to enable OMCs to start building these stations within three months.

A special group is also working on setting customs duties and tax incentives to promote EV manufacturing in Pakistan.

Another team will focus on tracking emissions and creating a carbon credit system, with a dashboard at the Industries Ministry to monitor progress.

The EV policy draft is advancing, focusing on regulations for charging, tariff settings, and demand incentives for two and three-wheelers. The Commerce Ministry’s ReMIT project has offered expert help to further develop this policy.