A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Ministry of Science and Technology and the European automobile firm, under which electric buses will run in Pakistan main cities.
Addressing the signing ceremony, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was working on a plan to convert public transport into electric vehicles in metropolitan cities.
Read more: CDA & MoST Sign MoU to Operate Electric Buses In Islamabad
Chaudhry said that the British firm would assemble electric vehicles in Pakistan and invest $4 billion to set up an electric bus manufacturing plant in Pakistan. He added that this is the second agreement the government has signed with a foreign company for manufacturing electric buses.
He further briefed that in the first phase, electric buses would run in main Pakistan cities of Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad. He said 40 percent of public transport buses would be shifted to electricity in 10 years.
He announced that the government has decided to install EV charging stations on motorways across the country, it would be another government’s step after introducing an electric vehicle charging station in Islamabad.
Moreover, he said that the entire motorway network would be shifted to electric vehicle charging within the next two years.
Last month, Mr. Chaudhry announced that battery-powered electric buses would operate in Pakistan from this year. Meanwhile, Daewoo Pakistan Express Bus Service Limited and Skywell Automobile (Chinese firm) signed a strategic alliance agreement to set up an electric vehicle value chain in Pakistan.
Fawad Chaudhry also said that with new ‘Vehicle policy’ almost 38 electric vehicles to hit capital roads by December 2020.
Recently university students built an electric three-wheeled vehicle for the first time, connecting Pakistani universities to the market.
The British automobile firm CEO admired the Pakistan government’s policy on electric vehicles saying that they also wanted to contribute to the progress of the country.
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