PM Imran launches Pakistan's first eco-friendly E-bike

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan launched on Thursday Pakistan’s first environment-friendly electric motorbike in Islamabad.

Addressing the launching ceremony, he stressed the need for focusing attention on promotion of electric vehicles to cut air pollution in big cities where the pollution has reached the dangerous levels.

“The level of air pollution Lahore has at present would reduce the life expectancy of a human by eleven years,” Prime Minister Khan pointed out.

He said the government’s electric vehicle policy is part of Clean and Green Pakistan initiative as trees are being planted and more national parks set up to increase green cover.

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Unfortunately, Pakistan has the lowest proportion of forest area, even lower than India, the prime minister lamented, adding we shrank the forest footprint that British left after the partition.

He said cities are expanding due to growing population. The government is preparing master plans of cities to prevent their expansion and address the pollution issue, he added.

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A Pakistani firm, Jolta Electric, has manufactured the E-bike, which is being billed as a major step towards electrifying the country’s automobile industry. The E-bike available in various models including scooty and sports bike is energy efficient and requires low maintenance.

The incumbent government had approved a five-year Pakistan Electric Vehicles Policy 2020-2025 last year that envisages targeting a robust electric vehicle market having a 30 per cent and 90 per cent share in passenger vehicles and heavy duty trucks by 2030 and 2040, respectively.