ISLAMABAD: While private firms have started establishing Electric Vehicle (EV) charging points after the facilities were announced under the EV policy, the government is yet to form a regulator to regulate and supervise quality and safety issues linked with charging points and machinery.
There is confusion about the ministries, institutions and rules under which the charging points are being established in the country.
According to an official at the Ministry of Industries, Engineering Development Board (EDB), an attached department of the ministry, was responsible for issuing the NOCs to import the duty free charging equipment only.
“Investors get the electricity connections from the respective power utility company, but there is currently no authority to certify the quality standards for installations and operations,” the official added.
Sources in the power division said a large number of investors, some even vying to establish charging points using solar power, have approached the Energy Ministry seeking permissions but there is a lack of regulatory mechanism in this regard.
As the numbers of electric vehicles were increasing in the country, the two largest oil marketing companies (OMCs) in Pakistan – the state owned OMC, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Shell Pakistan have already established charging points for the EVs.
Private investors too have entered the emerging sector, by establishing three charging stations between Islamabad and Lahore.
The Tesla Industries Pakistan has recently installed two EV charging stations at Lahore Islamabad Motorway one at Bhera and other at Pindi Bhattian.
These charging points have been established outside M2 Motorway, making the movement of EVs between Islamabad and Lahore technically possible at the motorway. The EV chargers have been installed at old CNG stations just on the periphery of M2 Motorway at Bhera and Pindi Bhattian.
The EV vehicles drivers can take the exit at Bhera interchange either coming from Islamabad or going to Islamabad and move to the CNG station to recharge the vehicle, who can then re-enter the motorway.
Similarly, commuters can get their vehicles charged at Pindi Bhattian.
The company claims that the charging stations have been indigenously designed, manufactured and installed by Tesla Industries Pakistan, and the company has installed another such charging station near Gujrat at GT Road and plans to install more chargers on GT Road and alongside motorway as the demand soars.
Both stations are equipped with one 120 kwh charger, which takes around 40 minutes to fully charge a 70 kwh battery and one 60 kwh charger it takes more than an hour to fully charge a 70 kwh battery.
The Federal Cabinet had approved a comprehensive EV policy for four wheelers on December 22, 2020, that offered a series of incentives to EV importers, manufacturers and end-users.
These incentives included a decrease in import duties and local taxes on CBU units, CKD units, parts and charging equipment, a complete waiver of registration fees, annual motor vehicle tax and 50 per cent relief on motorway tolls.
