Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has announced plans to open a car manufacturing plant in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city.
BYD, the first major new electric vehicle (NEV) player in the Pakistani market, is collaborating with Mega Motors to sell three models, according to a report by Reuters.
“Our entry into the Pakistani market is not just about offering consumers modern vehicles. It is also about promoting a broader vision of environmental responsibility and technological innovation,” said BYD’s General Manager for Asia Pacific, Liu Xueliang.
BYD will also open three “flagship stores and experience centers” in the Pakistani cities of Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore, the company said. Sales of a sedan and two SUV models are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.
Mega Motors is a unit of private utility company Hubco.
“We will build Pakistan’s first NEV assembly plant… exclusively dedicated to producing BYD’s cutting-edge alternative fuel vehicles,” said Kamran Kamal, CEO of Hubco.
The new plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2026.
Hubco plans to set up charging stations in major cities, as well as on highways and fast charging stations to improve the country’s charging infrastructure.
BYD has expanded its reach in markets such as South America and Southeast Asia despite new tariffs on Chinese electric car imports in Europe and the US.
BYD currently sells electric vehicles in 80 countries and has signed agreements to set up production facilities in Turkey, Hungary and Brazil. The Chinese electric vehicle giant opened its first electric vehicle plant in Thailand last month.
