WITH everything that is going on in the country’s economy, the government should actively encourage people to convert their vehicles, such as motorcycles, rickshaws and smaller cars, from petrol to electric. In our region, such a conversion costs anywhere from the equivalent of Rs50,000 to Rs250,000. Kits may be available from companies from Vietnam or China.

The cost of operating these converted e-vehicles would be about one-fifth of what it would be if they were running on petrol. The kits may be subsidised by the govern- ment and commercial banks may also be encouraged to issue loans for the purpose.

Some local auto manufacturers have been raising the prices of their brands and even then they are shutting down plants because there are no buyers. If this continues, many workers would become unemployed, adding to the overall economic burden.

Some of these companies should be encouraged to produce electric versions of their vehicles and to start converting the existing vehicles to set the ball in motion and then to keep it rolling.

Dr Syed Arif Kazmi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2023