Electric vehicles will account for up to half of car sales by 2030, says BYD Pakistan.

By Ariba Shahid

KARACHI (Reuters) – By 2030, up to 50 percent of all vehicles bought in Pakistan will be electrified in some form, in line with global targets, said BYD (SZ:) Pakistan, a partnership between China’s BYD and the Pakistani auto group Mega Motors.

Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD, backed by Warren Buffett, announced its entry into Pakistan last month, making South Asia, with 250 million people, one of its newest markets.

The partnership has announced plans to open an assembly plant in early 2026, but will introduce vehicles for sale later this year after launching three models in August.

“I see the conversion to NEV new energy vehicles up to 50 percent,” Kamran Kamal, BYD’s Pakistan spokesman, told Reuters in an interview at his office on Thursday. Kamal is also the CEO of Hub Power, which owns Mega Motors.

The target is an ambitious one for Pakistan’s auto sector, which has been largely dominated by Japanese automakers Toyota (NYSE:), Honda (NYSE: ) and Suzuki, with vehicle sales hitting a 15-year low in the fiscal year through June.

Recently, South Korea’s KIA has started to challenge for market share along with Chinese companies Changan and MG, all offering hybrid vehicles. BYD Pakistan is the first major new energy vehicle entrant in the Pakistani market.

Sales of hybrid electric vehicles in Pakistan have doubled in the past year. While reaching 30% NEV adoption by 2030 is feasible, reaching 50% may be more difficult due to infrastructure hurdles, said Muhammad Abrar Polani, automotive sector analyst at Arif Habib Limited.

Kamal said the charging infrastructure challenge will be addressed by the government’s plans to boost its construction.

Local media reported in August that standards for electric vehicle charging stations had been drawn up by the energy ministry, with the government considering providing them with affordable electricity.

Kamal said BYD Pakistan is collaborating with two oil marketing companies to establish a charging infrastructure network and aims to set up 20 to 30 charging stations in the initial phases concurrent with the launch of its cars.

BYD Pakistan will initially sell fully assembled vehicles, which are subject to higher import duties than vehicles shipped in parts and assembled locally.

“Our main objective is to have locally assembled cars on the roads as soon as possible,” Kamal said, citing difficulties in importing and selling fully assembled units under Pakistan’s current tax structure.

Kamran said BYD Pakistan is deciding the size of a new plant, but details of the investment and partnership with power company HUBCO will be revealed later.