Electric vehicles.

THE approval of Pakistan's first electric vehicle policy towards the end of last year has given rise to an ongoing media debate. It has been pointed out that while we are now one step closer to a pollution-free environment, a greener future will depend a lot on the development of fast-charging electric vehicle batteries and the availability of charging infrastructure on roads and highways. The new EV technology is considered a game changer for the environment and promises various benefits to developing countries like Pakistan that are facing chronic balance-of-payments crisis by reducing their fossil fuel imports, and to consumers by slashing their recurring fuel and maintenance costs. However, the adoption of EV technology remains slow even in developed countries despite its salutary impact on the environment and multiple economic advantages for consumers. Pakistan is unlikely to defy this global trend in spite of significant tax and other concessions announced in the policy to escalate the adoption of the technology. According to reports, the government plans that 30pc of all new cars, trucks, buses, vans and jeeps, and 50pc of all two-, three- and four-wheelers will be electric vehicles by 2030. By 2040, 90pc of vehicles on the road are envisioned as electric. An ambitious target indeed.

The slow adoption of green technology across the world has also raised the question of whether it is...

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