Pakistan is a country of more than 240 million people, and its large population naturally comes with enormous energy and transportation needs. Yet the country has limited domestic fuel resources and remains heavily dependent on imported oil. Pakistan’s oil import bill is estimated at around $15.8 billion, a burden that has become even more difficult to manage amid continuing instability and conflict in the Middle East. Rising global energy uncertainty has once again highlighted the vulnerability of an economy that relies heavily on imported fuel.
At the same time, Pakistan possesses one resource in abundance: sunshine. The country’s solar revolution has demonstrated how quickly consumers can adopt alternative energy solutions when the economic incentives are strong and the technology is readily available. Solar power has expanded rapidly, largely because the infrastructure required to generate electricity can be installed at homes, businesses and industrial facilities. The same transformation, however, has yet to take place in the transport sector.
Pakistan has ambitious plans for electric mobility. Under its National New Energy Vehicle (NEV) Policy 2025-30, the government aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and move towards having 30 per cent of vehicles on the road powered by electricity by 2030. However, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has warned that the transition faces significant financing, infrastructure and implementation challenges. Without a sustainable financing mechanism and coordinated policy execution, the country’s long-term EV ambitions could remain largely on paper.
The experience of the previous 2019 electric vehicle policy should serve as a warning. Although the policy created expectations for a rapid shift towards electric mobility, the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted investment, supply chains and economic activity, slowing its implementation. The new policy has been introduced under very different circumstances, but it faces another major obstacle: the absence of adequate charging infrastructure.
This is where the comparison with Pakistan’s solar boom becomes particularly relevant. Solar panels provide an immediate and visible solution: once installed, they generate electricity every day. Electric vehicles, by contrast, require an extensive network of charging facilities to make them practical for ordinary consumers. Buying an EV is of limited value if its owner cannot reliably find a place to charge it during a long journey or even within a major city.
Pakistan is currently planning to establish around 3,000 EV charging stations by 2030. Whether this will be sufficient is highly questionable. A target of 30 per cent electric vehicles could translate into more than two million vehicles, creating a charging requirement far beyond what a few thousand stations may be able to support. Policymakers have already highlighted the scale of the challenge. Some lawmakers have estimated that Karachi alone could require around 4,000 to 5,000 charging stations, while EV users continue to report difficulties in locating available charging points. Limited private-sector investment in charging infrastructure further complicates the situation.
The challenge is not limited to charging stations. A successful transition to electric mobility requires an entire ecosystem. Pakistan will need trained technicians, affordable spare parts, battery-repair facilities, recycling systems, reliable electricity supplies and financing options that ordinary consumers can actually afford. Without this supporting infrastructure, EV ownership could remain concentrated among wealthier consumers rather than becoming a genuine mass-market alternative.
The government must therefore look beyond headline targets and focus on the practical steps required to achieve them. With global energy markets becoming increasingly unpredictable and energy security becoming an important component of national security, reducing dependence on imported oil should be treated as a strategic priority. Electric mobility, if implemented properly, can play an important role in reducing fuel imports and improving Pakistan’s long-term energy resilience.
One practical starting point could be greater support for smaller charging facilities designed for electric two-wheelers. Motorcycles are among the most common forms of transportation in Pakistan, particularly for middle- and lower-income households. Many electric bikes can be charged using a standard 220-volt power supply, making their charging requirements considerably simpler than those of large electric buses or commercial vehicles. Subsidising small-scale charging points could therefore allow the EV ecosystem to expand from the bottom up.
This does not mean that electric buses and larger vehicles should be neglected. Public transport electrification can reduce urban pollution, fuel consumption and operating costs while providing benefits to millions of commuters. But given Pakistan’s existing transport patterns and limited financial resources, two-wheelers could offer a faster and more affordable route towards widespread EV adoption.
The objective should ultimately be simple: identify the quickest and most cost-effective path to putting the largest possible number of electric vehicles on Pakistan’s roads. Ambitious targets are useful only when they are backed by realistic implementation plans, adequate financing and infrastructure.
Pakistan has already shown, through its solar boom, that consumers are willing to embrace new energy technologies when they make economic sense. The next challenge is to create an EV ecosystem that offers the same combination of affordability, convenience and reliability. If the state wants an electric vehicle revolution, it must first make sure that people have somewhere to charge their vehicles.
Shafaqna Pakistan
pakistan.shafaqna.com
Note: Shafaqna do not endorse the views expressed in the article
