ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will offer Chinese investors to set up their electric car manufacturing plants at the Karachi and Gwadar Export Processing Zones (EPZ) for exports to Middle East, Far East and Central Asia, as well as to Africa, Europe and Americas, official sources said.
The offer would be made during the visit of the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who will be accompanied by a large business delegation. The government is focused on Chinese investment in the auto sector to increase competition in the local market as well as to enhance auto exports, sources said. The offer was finalised as already a Pakistani company, Karakoram Motors Company, in joint collaboration with a Chinese state owned firm, was in the final stages to start manufacturing of electric cars in the country for exports. The company has successfully completed test trials of prototype electric car. Many other Chinese auto companies are also looking for suitable locations for manufacturing and exports.
A spokesman of the Ministry of Industries and Production confirmed the development and said that the government has decided to offer EPZs to the state owned Chinese as well as private sector companies to establish electric cars plants. He said the offer would not be limited to electric cars as Pakistan would also seek Chinese investment in the petrol and diesel automobiles like cars, jeeps, vans, buses, tractors and trucks. “We want to tap this opportunity to make Pakistan a hub for manufacturing and marketing of traditional as well as electric cars in the region and beyond” he said. China, he said, is determined to become world leader in green auto technology and plans to invest in electric and hybrid vehicles to have five million electric cars on the roads by 2020, which accounts for 35 percent of the global electric vehicle market.
