ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to launch a new scheme to promote environment‑friendly electric motorcycles and vehicles in order to reduce the import bill and tackle environmental challenges.
According to officials, the draft of the E‑Bike Scheme has been prepared, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will formally launch the scheme on August 14.
As per media reports, the government has allocated Rs9 billion in the current budget to provide subsidies for e‑bikes. Under the scheme, each electric motorcycle will get a subsidy of Rs65,000, while the remaining cost will be provided by banks as interest‑free loans.
Online registration will be required to apply for the e‑bike scheme, and if applications exceed the set limit, a draw (ballot) will be held to select beneficiaries.
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Officials say that under the national Electric Vehicles Policy, by the year 2030, Pakistan aims to have:
2 million e‑bikes,
53,950 e‑rickshaws,
99,155 electric cars,
2,238 electric buses, and
2,996 electric trucks.
The overall target for the next five years is to put 2,213,115 electric vehicles on the road.
In the first phase, 40 fast‑charging stations will be set up across the country, and Islamabad will be developed as a model city for electric vehicles. All petrol stations in the capital will be equipped with charging points.
