LUMS conducts seminar on battery electric vehicles

The Lahore University of Management Sciences recently organized a seminar for the stakeholders of battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

The seminar, held at the Suleman Dawood School of Business (SDSB), focused on the industry’s readiness for manufacturing BEVs in Pakistan. It also featured the latest research and viability of the concept, in addition to addressing policy and manufacturing challenges.

The seminar was part of the research efforts being spearheaded at LUMS by faculty members, Dr Muhammad Shakeel Sadiq Jajja and Dr Syed Zahoor Hassan, with the support of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Energy Centre, Islamabad.

Dr Haritha Saranga from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) participated in the event via Skype.

The event was attended by automobile manufacturers, including Atlas Honda, Honda Cars, Porsche Centre Lahore, and Indus Motor Company Limited (Toyota). Other manufacturers, including Millat Equipment Limited, Treet Bikes, United Motors, Volvo-VPL, Road Prince, Sazgar Engineering Works Limited, Songuo Motors, Jolta Motors, and Power Electronics Pakistan, were in attendance as well.

The seminar was inaugurated by SDSB Honourary Dean Dr Alnoor Bhimani, who emphasized the need for effective policymaking and legislation to enact long term changes.

Dr Syed Zahoor Hassan then led the audience through the basics of battery electric vehicle technology and various technical details. Vehicle market segmentation and global trends in the US, Europe, and China were also discussed.

Dr Saranga pointed out the massive cost of oil imports in India, and how the government has been adopting policies to promote the use of battery electric vehicles through subsidies and incentives for local manufacturers.