BYD’s vehicle assembly plant in Gharo, Sindh, has missed its previously planned deadline to begin operations, with the facility now expected to become operational during the second half of 2026. The development represents a delay to the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer’s plans for local vehicle assembly in Pakistan. According to information shared by Hub Power Company Limited (Hubco) with analysts, the plant, being developed through Mega Motor Company (MMCPL), is now targeted to start operations in the latter half of the year. The facility was previously scheduled to become operational during the first half of fiscal year 2026.
The Gharo facility is being developed as part of BYD’s partnership with Mega Motor Company, in which Hubco holds a 50 percent stake. Hubco had announced in February 2025 that MMCPL was establishing the assembly plant in Sindh, with operations planned for the first half of fiscal year 2026. The project was initiated after Hub Power, through its wholly owned subsidiary Hub Power Holdings Limited and associated company MMCPL, entered the electric vehicle business in Pakistan with BYD Auto Industry Company in June 2024. The total investment in the project has been estimated at $150 million, including $90 million in project financing. Once operational, the plant is expected to initially assemble approximately 25,000 vehicles annually, with the capacity capable of being increased to 50,000 units. BYD had previously indicated that its first locally assembled vehicle could enter production around July or August 2026, but that timeline has now passed.
The reason for the delay has not been publicly disclosed. MMCPL did not respond to queries seeking information about the current status of the facility, the reasons behind the revised timeline, its vehicle localisation plans, the number of imported BYD vehicles expected before local assembly begins, and the company’s first-year production target. The plant is an important part of BYD’s broader strategy in Pakistan, where the company began selling imported electric vehicles in 2025. Earlier reports said the facility was progressing through equipment installation and commissioning, with BYD describing construction as being in its final stages. Automotive manufacturing facilities generally require equipment validation, production trials and quality testing before volume production begins, and these processes form part of the preparation for local assembly.
Hubco is also expanding its electric vehicle charging infrastructure through Hubco Green as the company continues to develop its wider electric mobility business. The company currently has 24 direct-current fast-charging sites in operation, with charging stations positioned approximately every 200 kilometres along the Karachi-Peshawar motorway network. Hubco plans to reduce the distance between charging locations to around 100 kilometres, while charging at the existing stations generally takes between 25 and 45 minutes. Meanwhile, Hubco has set a target of securing a 30 percent share of Pakistan’s combined electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid vehicle market by 2030. The delayed BYD assembly plant remains central to the company’s local manufacturing plans, while its eventual launch is expected to determine when BYD can move from primarily imported vehicles toward locally assembled production in Pakistan.
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