NA told: Govt plans 3,000 EV charging facilities

Business Recorder reported that the government aims to install roughly 3,000 public EV charging points nationwide by 2030 under its New Energy Vehicle Policy. The plan also provides purchase support of Rs80,000 for electric two-wheelers and Rs400,000 for three-wheelers, while an initial rollout would place 40 rapid chargers on motorways and selected stretches of the N-5.

Officials outlined incentives for private investment, including a special commercial power rate for charging operators, faster grid connections and public-private financing arrangements. The policy also seeks local production of components such as motors, battery packs and chargers, alongside collection and recycling systems for used batteries. The government is engaging lenders to ease access to vehicle financing, while a separate automotive policy targets vehicle exports of USD6 billion.

Separately, the railways minister told lawmakers that 349 passenger and freight train accidents had been recorded since 2022, with inquiries concluded in 331 cases. A 480-kilometre Karachi railway line, estimated to cost USD 2.5 billion, is planned under the ML-1 project.