KARACHI: The electric bike was officially launched in Karachi on Sunday, during a public ceremony that took place at Sea View. The E-bikes were taken for a test drive by people in attendance, as reported by PakWheels.

According to PakWheels, the electric bike commonly known as E-bike, comes with a electric engine and runs on chargeable batteries. Athar Ahmed Khan, the owner of TAZ Trading which imports E-bikes in Pakistan, hopes to replace the 70cc bikes with this eco-friendly alternative.

TAZ Trading has already sold 25 bikes in Faisalabad and is hopeful about the future of these bikes in Pakistan after the launch in Karachi.

The E-bike runs on rechargeable batteries which is an eco-friendly option that can help reduce the high amounts of air and noise pollution in Pakistan. The report also stated that when it comes to speed, the E-bike can do 60 kilometres per hour and close to 70 kilometres per unit of electricity. The Energy Conservation Department of K-electric did an analysis which shows that for every nine kilometres the cost is one rupee. In the duration of one charge, the bike can cover a distance of up to 100 kilometres, which means that the running cost can be reduced by up to 90 per cent.

According to the report, the running cost of regular motorcycles is three thousand rupees per month, whereas the analysis shows that the E-bike can provide the same use for only 300 rupees. The starting price of the E-bike is 89 thousand rupees and since they are under 50cc there is no requirement of registration with the excise and taxation department.

According to The World Health Organisation (WHO), there are 170,000 deaths in Pakistan every year due to pollution, as mentioned by the report. The major cause of pollution in Pakistan are vehicles that have internal combustion engines. Since 48 per cent of the population uses two-wheelers in Pakistan, these vehicles alone contribute significantly to pollution. The E-bike might finally be a solution for this issue and help in permanently reducing pollution in Pakistan.