Muhammad Faisal Kaleem

Seventeen companies have expressed their interest in installing Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations along the roads falling under the administrative control of the National Highway Authority (NHA). A senior official in the Ministry of Industries and Production (MoIP) told Wealth Pakistan that some companies approached the ministry for the installation of EV stations across the country soon after the announcement of the National Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy.

“We found these stakeholders seriously interested in the initiative,” Additional Secretary MoIP Asif Saeed Khan told Wealth Pakistan. The ministry has received formal expressions of willingness from 17 companies so far. He said that a high-level meeting was held in this regard, attended by the NHA’s Member Engineering and Coordination, as well as officials from the Ministry of Communications.

During the meeting, the NHA officials were briefed on the companies’ willingness to make investments. All stakeholders agreed to initiate work on this task, he added. Currently, as per available information, most of the country’s motorways and highways lack EV charging stations.

Some of the companies willing to invest in the installation of EV charging stations are EVPlugX, Yousuf Dewan Companies, EVchargers.com.pk, Albario Engineering Group, Malik Enterprises, Flash Charging Network, Attock Petroleum, and Hubco Green. He said the EVs’ use in Pakistan is gaining traction as part of a push for cleaner, environment-friendly transport, though the adoption remains low, with a few thousand EVs plying the roads.

“The government’s policies and reduced electricity tariffs aim to encourage buyers and investment, but high upfront costs and limited infrastructure still slow widespread uptake,” he explained. The charging infrastructure is currently sparse, with only a few dozen Level-2 public charging points concentrated in major cities, such as Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, as well as on some motorways.

Recognizing this gap, federal and provincial authorities are planning to install a charging station every 50km across districts, with nationwide targets aiming for thousands of stations by 2030. The government’s broader strategy includes a phased rollout of around 3,000 EV charging stations by 2030, with private sector partners building and operating them.

This expansion is the key to reducing range anxiety (the fear that an EV driver will run out of battery power before reaching their destination or a charging station) and enabling longer intercity travel, making EVs more practical for daily use in Pakistan.

Credit: INP-WealthPk