The first ‘Rapid Charger’ station for Electric Vehicles (EV) was opened today at the Shell Askari-4 forecourt on Rashid Minhas Road, Karachi, by Shell Pakistan Limited (SPL) and K-Electric (KE).
The station has a capacity of 50 kWh, and it comes after the firms signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) earlier this year, under which Shell will instal EV Charging Stations in strategic areas throughout Karachi.
KE will also assure an improved supply of power to these localities as Karachi’s main power supplier.
Shell Pakistan Limited (SPL) and K-Electric jointly unveiled the first “Rapid Charger” station for electric vehicles (EV) today at the Shell Askari-4 forecourt on Rashid Minhas Road in Karachi (KE).
The station, which has a capacity of 50 kWh, was built following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two companies earlier this year, under which Shell will instal electric vehicle charging stations in strategic locations throughout Karachi.
As Karachi’s principal electricity supplier, KE will also ensure increased power supply to these areas.
Shell Pakistan Limited’s General Manager Retail, Taha Magrabi, remarked at the inauguration that Shell Recharge in Pakistan is a step toward cleaner energy solutions and is in accordance with the government’s policy to promote electric vehicles in Pakistan. We are thrilled to be working with K-Electric, who share our enthusiasm for innovation. It is critical for industry participants to collaborate in order to pave the path for more environmentally friendly transportation solutions for customers.
Naz Khan, KE’s Chief Strategy Officer, expressed her delight at the initiative’s operational start, saying, “At the moment, fossil fuels account for 46 percent of Pakistan’s energy emissions.” The transportation sector contributes half of this. As a result, projects like these are critical to the long-term energy and environmental sustainability of our country. KE is pleased to be working on this project with Shell Pakistan. KE is now generating 250 MW of Karachi’s electricity from renewable sources, with plans to add 350 MW additional renewable energy sources in the near future to do our part in decreasing carbon footprint.
The federal government proposes eliminating duties on imported EVs, a 1% tax on EV parts for local production, and a 1% sales tax on domestically produced EVs up to 50 kWh (sedans) and light commercial vehicles in its proposed Automobile Policy 2021-2026. It also proposes no Federal Excise Charge on EVs and a 1% duty on imported EV charging equipment, as well as duty-free importing of machinery for EV manufacturing in the United States.
source: ProPakistani
