Imran Khan to Meet Tesla’s Executives to Discuss Launching Electric Cars in Pakistan

[Mujahid Memon]

Tesla is out of the reach of even the upper middle class. Just the super elite can afford it.


Better would be if we get Chinese manufacturers in who are building small, cheap electric cars that are supremely affordable. We have excess capacity generation now and paying capacity charges on it which is fueling circular debt. It would be nice if we can harness this capacity and break even rather than adding to circular debt.


For electric vehicles to penetrate the market the government can incentivize existing petrol pump owners to have two three charging stations in each pump. Why build new charging infrastructure when we already have a country wide network of petrol pumps.

Oh, so you have problem if IK meets an American. Why didn't your beloved leader Nawaj Sherif go to China for Electric cars then? Patwaris like you always find fault in Khan's decisions.

 

[Mav3rick]

Why not just discuss helping the country become fully electrified first. That's more important than fancy electric cars.

I think both tasks can be taken on simultaneously. I believe that we need to focus entirely on the next generation, i.e. electric car and should pursue Chinese electric cars in the range of 1.0 - 3.0 Million over Tesla or other high end, expensive cars which only a few Pakistanis can afford.

 

[El Sidd]

Tesla is expensive, but not that expensive. Its Model 3 is priced at RMB 250k (USD 39k) in China; it is now planning for a more affordable model (Model 2), which will be below RMB 200k (USD 31k).

Pakistan doesn't have the infrastructure for E-mobility.

The dollar amount you are talking about is unthinkable for a Pakistani.

 

[Path-Finder]

forget electric cars go for thorium fueled cars

lets take one step at a time. before thorium cars lets master thorium reactors for energy!

 

[GS Zhou]

I believe that we need to focus entirely on the next generation, i.e. electric car and should pursue Chinese electric cars in the range of 1.0 - 3.0 Million over Tesla or other high end, expensive cars which only a few Pakistanis can afford.

A few examples from China EV companies, within your price range.

BYD e2: 305km version at USD 13.8k; 405km version at USD 17.4k

Greatwall ES11, 400km version at USD 16k; 500km version at USD 20.6k

Or the most affordable electric car: Wuling Hongguang Mini EV: 120km version at USD 4.4k; 170km version at USD 6k. It has the safety features like ABS+EBD, TPMS (tire pressure monitoring), and parking radar; but it does NOT have air bags. But honestly, for such a cheap one, we should not ask too much.

 

[Titanium100]

lets take one step at a time. before thorium cars lets master thorium reactors for energy!

That is reasonable progress. If Thorium fueled cars were to be released would have been exciting times. But there is always the natural medium electricity grid that is completely free and everything could run without gas or oil limitless

 

[GS Zhou]

Pakistan doesn't have the infrastructure for E-mobility.

No country could have the E-mobility infrastructure before it decides to make the investment on it. And please don't think EV charging facility is something very sophisticated or expensive. Because in the end, most of the charging demand of the private car fleet could be served by the private chargers installed at their home. And the hardware cost, plus the installation fee, is actually very affordable (USD 500 to 1k, that's the China experience).

The home charger box from BYD. It's a small one, only 7kw. But that's still sufficient if you charge your vehicle over the night. 7kw in power means you can charge a 70kwh battery pack to full in 10hours (e.g. 8pm to 6am the next day morning). A 70kwh battery pack could support 400 to 500km driving. I.e with the home charger installed, in most cases, you don't need the support of the public chargers, unless you need to do some long drive from one city to another.

 

[El Sidd]

No country could have the E-mobility infrastructure before it decides to make the investment on it. And please don't think EV charging facility is something very sophisticated or expensive. Because in the end, most of the charging demand of the private car fleet could be served by the private chargers installed at their home. And the hardware cost, plus the installation fee, is actually very affordable (USD 500 to 1k, that's the China experience).

The home charger box from BYD. It's a small one, only 7kw. But that's still sufficient if you charge your vehicle over the night. 7kw in power means you can charge a 70kwh battery pack to full in 10hours (e.g. 8pm to 6am the next day morning). A 70kwh battery pack could support 400 to 500km driving. I.e with the home charger installed, in most cases, you don't need the support of the public chargers, unless you need to do some long drive from one city to another.

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Electricity is a luxurious commodity not essential building block of the country.

Majority of the country is agriculture based. It takes generations to explain all of this to farmers hooked on cash crops.

None of these cars can survive Pakistani roads or usage.

 

[Patriot forever]

I think both tasks can be taken on simultaneously. I believe that we need to focus entirely on the next generation, i.e. electric car and should pursue Chinese electric cars in the range of 1.0 - 3.0 Million over Tesla or other high end, expensive cars which only a few Pakistanis can afford.

Yes and I think charging station infra structure is blown out of proportion as far as our domestic environment is concerned where majority of traffic is intra city. Any 3 phase connection can handle a load of 5-10kw/h.
Infrastructure will grow as demand increases. Once people start adapting EV private sector has enough juice in it to invest in infra once it reaches a profitable threshold.

Overall with the projects coming online even if you consider in the short term and with the work that is being carried out in transmission (which is actually the limiting factor even today), I see no better alternate especially for a fossil fuel starved country.

 

[GS Zhou]

Electricity is a luxurious commodity not essential building block of the country.

Majority of the country is agriculture based. It takes generations to explain all of this to farmers hooked on cash crops.

None of these cars can survive Pakistani roads or usage.

Hard for me to comment on these topics, because they are out of my knowledge.

However, I don't think Pakistan will be in such status forever. You definitely need to make some investment for the future, no matter it is gasoline/diesel cars, or electric cars.

 

[Path-Finder]

That is reasonable progress. If Thorium fueled cars were to be released would have been exciting times. But there is always the natural medium electricity grid that is completely free and everything could run without gas or oil limitless

my point is lets get thorium molten salt reactors(MSR) made into reality to do away with other intrusive forms of power generation then we won't need thorium fueled cars.

 

[AZ1]

Tesla will come up with battery that will run like 1000km and then recharge.

 

[Paul2]

Yes and I think charging station infra structure is blown out of proportion as far as our domestic environment is concerned where majority of traffic is intra city. Any 3 phase connection can handle a load of 5-10kw/h.

Not every household gets all 3 phases.

Though, by the amount of LC200s on the road in Islamabad I've seen, I guess enough Pakistanis have enough money for luxuries.

LC200 is not the cheapest cars. Houses in DHAs in Islamabad, and Lahore weren't looking cheap either. Certainly more luxurious than what I had in my village in Guangzhou.

 

[Itachi]

It’s all wonderful until the electric grid has faults that take it offline for hours in half of the country. Unless Telsa intends to provide its massive solar powered supercharger network tech at Pakistan affordable (read loans and corruption riddled lowest bidder) prices; this is all another CNG car drama which will only profit a few... but then what is Pakistan without its national character.

Buying the cart before buying the horse.

The Grid won't be able to handle 100k, let alone 1M EV's on the road....expect 18 hour load shedding.

 

[jupiter2007]

Why not just discuss helping the country become fully electrified first. That's more important than fancy electric cars.

IK has a long term vision. Tesla just build it’s car manufacturing plant in China. If they build one in pakistan, they can reduce their overhead by hiring cheap labor in Pakistan and cars can easily be delivered to xyz countries via CPEC route.