A Karachi-based company introduced its own range of electric vehicles on Friday.
Crown Group has been making auto parts since 1963. It displayed a number of environmentally friendly vehicles, including motorcycles, auto-rickshaws, cars and ambulances, which it says are energy efficient.
The starting price for an electric car, a pilot project, is Rs400,000. It’s a two-door hatchback with a seating capacity of two persons. The prices of the rickshaws and motorcycles are between Rs200,000 and Rs55,000 respectively.
The company says its vehicles will cost Rs1.25 for each kilometre travelled, which “makes it the cheapest” option available for transport.
Farhan Hanif, the chairperson of the group, says the two and three wheeler automobiles can travel 60km to 70km on a full charge. A car fully charged on a 50-amp battery can travel up to 50kms.
Eight Chinese companies have partnered with the Crown Group in joint ventures, said Hanif, adding that the company is ready to expand production as soon as the government implements its electric vehicle policy.
A draft of the policy awaits the government’s approval.
If the government keeps its word on the electric vehicle policy, the custom duty on imports of auto-parts will only be 1% while the sales tax will not exceed 5%, said the chairperson.
He emphasised that the advent of electric vehicles will help boost Pakistan’s economy and introduce new jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities as specific power stations to charge the vehicles will have to be established.
Crown Group is a new player in the electric vehicles market and has invested Rs2 billion to set up its manufacturing plant.
