Pakistan Introduces Eco Friendly Electric Three-Wheelers (Auto Rickshaws)

DESPARDES — Foreigners visiting Pakistan may see or have a joy-ride on noiseless, smokeless three-wheelers snaking through major arteries of the cities.

Pakistan on Saturday launched its first electric three-wheeler vehicle in Lahore — Punjab’s capital.

The electric-driven auto-rickshaw made its foray at the event “Showcasing Pakistan’s First Fully-Electric Three-Wheel Vehicle” organized by the Ministry of Climate Change in collaboration with the Board of Investment (BoI) and Sazgar Engineering Works Limited.

These eco-friendly vehicles would run on 70 percent less cost compared to its fuel-based counterpart.

It would also help cut oil import bill, yield countless benefits for environment, people’s overall lifestyle and the way cities look.

Electric vehicles like the EC auto-rickshaw do not emit smoke and are cleaner, do not cause noise pollution and cut fuel cost as well, industry observers say.

Auto sales has seen a slump amid slowing economy.

A top executive of one of the three Japanese assemblers told Gulf Today. that any reduction in or removal of taxes imposed on locally assembled cars will not lift the gloom in the country’s automobile industry as the sales have slumped mainly on account of the ongoing drive to document the economy and not owing to the rising prices of vehicles.

Localization of EV manufacturing is the next step, which will enable Pakistan to become part of the global value chain of electric vehicles.