Expats develop first ‘Made in Pakistan’ electric vehicle

ISLAMABAD: Overseas Pakistanis have developed a “Made in Pakistan” electric car that will be unveiled in the next three to four months.

In a first, Pakistan is all set to roll out its first electric car manufactured by DICE Foundation, a group of Pakistanis based in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, aimed at showcasing expertise of overseas Pakistanis in the field of technology. It is one of the four mega projects run by the DICE. The DICE Foundation Founder and Chairman Dr Khursheed Qureshi said that Pakistan has come close to introducing a “Made-in-pakistan” electric car to the world by utilising expertise of overseas Pakistanis.

The electric car was designed by Pakistani experts working in global auto companies in the United States and the United Kingdom. Pakistani experts have volunteered their services for the manufacture of this car which has helped in significantly reducing the cost of the prototype (first model) of the Pakistani car.

Qureshi said that the initial model of the electric vehicle will be unveiled in the next three to four months while the batery pack for the electric car is also being manufactured in Pakistan and its designing and fabrication process will be completed in the next two months.

He said that an electric Pakistani car would be a masterpiece of overseas Pakistanis as it is built according to international engineering standards and not a work of reverse engineering. The car has garnered some of the best reviews and is expected to get great atention from the world of electric vehicles.

Qureshisaidthatsofar$100,000hasbeenspent on the design and manufacture of the prototype of the electric car. The funds have been donated by all the members of the Dice Foundation.

Generally, it takes about $100 million to accomplish this type of prototype but owing to the volunteering by Pakistani auto experts, such a huge investment has been saved.

Former Federal Minister for Energy Omar Ayub Khan remarked some months ago that the government is taking steps to control environmental pollution and that electric vehicle charging stations will be set up in the country.