LAHORE: The Punjab Excise Department has proposed new number plates for large SUVs and other big vehicles to improve the visibility of registration numbers.
Officials said the current small plates on bigger vehicles make it difficult to read registration details clearly. To solve this, Additional Director-General Rizwan Sherani has directed the design of new plates that will be easier to identify and compatible with Safe City cameras.
The upcoming number plates will feature a new color scheme instead of the usual black-and-white design and will include modern security features. Once the design is finalized and approved, the department will start formal procedures for implementation.
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Meanwhile, the growing use of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in Pakistan has helped the country save around $27 million in fuel import costs over the past two years. More than 30,000 hybrid vehicles are now on the roads, reducing fuel consumption by about 3 million liters and lowering the oil import bill.
Experts say hybrid cars now make up over half of the SUV market in Pakistan, promoting greener and more energy-efficient transportation. Lucky Motor Corporation (LMC) CEO Muhammad Faisal noted that if hybrids reach 25–30% of total vehicle sales, fuel savings could rise even further.
Pakistan’s automotive industry sells between 180,000 and 200,000 vehicles annually, including cars, vans, SUVs, and pickups. Since 2021, 13 new electric vehicle models have entered the local market, with nine of them being hybrids from Korean, Chinese, and Japanese brands.
