ISLAMABAD: Electric vehicle manufacturers have raised concerns over the slow development of charging infrastructure and high vehicle costs, as the government moves toward a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.
The concerns were shared during a consultative meeting with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination on Friday. The meeting, chaired by Secretary Aisha Humera Moriani, focused on strategies to accelerate the shift to electric mobility, expand charging infrastructure, promote vehicle retrofitting, and develop financing mechanisms to support the transition.
Industry representatives stressed the need for modern charging infrastructure, especially along highways and motorways, to enable sustainable sector growth.
Secretary Moriani acknowledged that the lack of charging infrastructure, particularly in cities, remains a major obstacle. She said without major investment in this area, electric mobility will remain difficult to achieve.
The meeting also discussed ways to simplify financing for electric vehicles to improve affordability. Participants emphasized the economic and environmental benefits of the transition and called for strong national policies and commitment to increase EV adoption.
The discussion also included retrofitting of existing fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
Muhammad Asif Sahibzada, director general for environment, said Pakistan has over 37 million fuel-based vehicles, including 28.7 million motorcycles, which are significant sources of pollution. He said standardised retrofitting is a cost-effective and scalable option, especially in the motorcycle segment that dominates the country’s transport network.
