Electric Vehicles.

Audi and Siemens, two German automobile companies, inaugurated Pakistan's first ultra-rapid DC charging station for Electric Vehicles (EVs) in Karachi. These chargers will take only 15 minutes to charge EVs, normally produced by manufacturers like Tesla, Audi, MG and BMW, generally used exclusively by the rich in most countries across the globe. Given the current rates of unaffordability, one may question the efficacy of constructing charging stations when EVs only occupy a minute share in the transportation sector. It would have made more sense if this had been a part of a larger policy initiative to push EVs into the market and promote sustainability as a whole.

Pakistan is a country where a solution like EVs have become a necessity because of extremely high rates of pollution and exorbitant fuel prices. However, little development within this sector globally has contributed to the ultra-exclusive quality of such cars. The use of EVs is concentrated within the upper strata of society abroad as well but, the difference lies in high rates of technological development expanding the scope of a wider consumer base. The only local importer and distributor are Nayyer Motor Company and that too only offers one EV for sale, the Rinco Aria which still treads over the edge of unaffordability. Research and innovation to localise production, assembly and distribution have been almost...

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