How Pakistan Plans to Electrify its Transport
It’s no secret that climate change is a major worry for all countries. High carbon pollution has become a pressing issue that humankind has yet to address despite technological developments.
According to the World Health Organization, air pollution kills over 7 million people each year. However, in most developing countries with the largest carbon dioxide exposures, this risk is increased.
This is where Pakistan enters the picture, unfortunately. Pakistan was named the second most polluted country in the world after Bangladesh in 2019.
Lahore, according to IQAir, has high levels of air pollution caused by both vehicle and industrial emissions.
These emission figures are further disturbed when farmers in rural areas burn crop stubbles every year, contributing to the blinding haze in urban areas.
This burning crop sequence typically occurs from October to November, and by the time winter arrives, these pollutants are trapped in the cold atmosphere; unable to escape, emitting carbon emissions from vehicles and factories are further trapped in cities, forming a giant deadly smog that sneaks into homes and people’s lungs.
This smog issue began in 2017 when IQAir began monitoring Pakistan’s air quality. They were astonished by the results, and when they shared them on social media, it immediately became a hot subject among the public and the government.
However, the officials slammed this revelation at the time, disregarding it by arguing that these pollutants may only cause “coughing” in particular sensitive groups.
Long-term exposure to carbon dioxide and pollutants without a mask not only endangers the elderly and the infirm, but it also increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infection.
Lahore’s air pollution is consistently rated as dangerous for humans and animals to breathe. According to the World Health Organization, this increases the risk of premature death and reduces life expectancy.
Unappealing Transportation Options Increase CO2 Emissions
People purchase their own rides due to a lack of comfortable and timely transit. Everyone in Pakistan owns a mode of transportation, whether it’s a motorcycle or a car that runs on gasoline or diesel.
Not only does this cause excessive traffic on the roadway, but it also contributes to the spread of carbon emissions in the environment.
Pakistan must explore for other greener options to alleviate this severe carbon dioxide pollution.
Excessive traffic on the road can be discouraged when people have access to clean solutions such as metros (or subways) that are powered by electricity and allow them to get to work or school in comfort and safety.
Countries to “Phase Out” Fossil-Fuel-Powered Cars and Pakistan’s Initiatives
Most countries have agreed that in the future, transportation powered by fossil fuel technology, such as gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas, and diesel, should be phased out completely.
To take things further, most countries are planning to phase out gasoline and diesel vehicles over the next two decades. Some are proposing partial bans based on the type of fuel used by the vehicle.
High levels of air pollution and deteriorating human health provide no excuse for not taking appropriate measures. Pakistan’s transportation sector accounts for 43 percent of total carbon emissions. Every year, these emissions claim the lives of over 135,000 people.
To address this persistent issue, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced his Reforestation Project, which aims to plant 10 billion trees across the country in order to ensure Pakistan’s long-term viability. This project began in 2018 and will be completed in 2023.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
– Chinese Proverb
However, simply planting trees will not be sufficient to address this issue. Because deforestation is occurring at a rapid rate, the only option to address this issue is to encourage the use of electric vehicles (EVs) to fill the gap left by internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Fortunately, one of the PTI government’s ambition was to introduce electric vehicles to the Pakistani market. On December 22, 2020, the Electric Vehicle Policy was announced and improved further to encourage this.
According to Geo News, the Federal Excise Duty (FED) has been removed off the taxation list. This is good news for those who are interested in this category, as the price of incoming EVs will be cut.
This new EV policy may be appealing to those anticipating EV auto giants looking for a site to establish plants and begin sales.
Pakistan has already begun discussions with a number of automakers, and with the additional incentives included in the EV policy, we may anticipate the manufacture of electric vehicles, vans, buses, rickshaws, and bikes.
The arrival of electric vehicles into the country will have a big economic impact.
According to Dawn News, the Ministry of Climate Change believes it can cut oil imports by $2 billion per year.
Furthermore, the Ministry believes that the introduction of EVs will result in the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country.
In this regard, the Minister intends to convert the 3,000 gas stations that have been closed due to a lack of gas into Electric Charging Stations.
The government is already in talks with Pakistan’s leading oil companies about establishing charging stations to help meet the rising demand for EVs.
Following the installation of the first charging station at one of the PSO stations in Islamabad, the Federal Ministry of Energy intends to install 24 more charging stations across the country.
Faced with Challenges:
Since every new product is viewed with scepticism, electric cars, which are urgently needed, are no exception. The vast bulk of people tend to underestimate the capabilities EVs have over their ICE counterparts.
EVs have long been chastised, and most automakers believed that the technology to build a functional electric vehicle will be discovered in the future.
This, though, changed when the electric car company Tesla set up its brand name and began rolling out its models, pressuring other car manufacturers to innovate or be left behind.
Benefits of Electric Vehicles Over Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles:
Electric vehicles have numerous advantages. They’re quick, smooth, and enjoyable to drive, as well as quiet, safe, efficient, and almost maintenance-free (no oil change, transmission fluid, spark plugs, fuel filters, or drive belts).
For example, an EV’s operating costs are set to be around Rs. 5–6 per kilometre, compared to Rs. 20–30 per kilometre for a petrol-powered vehicle.
Furthermore, research shows that a typical electric car emits 50% fewer gas emissions than a typical combustion engine car today.
Similarly, an electric car outperforms even the most fuel-efficient internal combustion engine vehicles on the market today, with a lifecycle efficiency of 30% greater.
People who run errands, cycle, jog, or simply go about their everyday lives benefit from electric cars because they don’t have emissions, which means they leave no carbon dioxide footprints behind them.
There will be no sound if there is no engine. This puts an electric car in a better position because it can quietly creep up behind a pedestrian!
Just joking! Electric cars, on the other hand, do not add to noise pollution. This can help everyone live in a more tranquil environment.
It takes A Lot of Energy to Build an Electric Vehicle
Because electric cars are newer than their internal combustion engine counterparts, the emissions produced to manufacture an electric car are higher than those produced to manufacture an internal combustion engine car.
This is due to the lithium-ion batteries that power the electric motor(s). At the moment, researchers are attempting to find more efficient methods of producing these batteries.
Every year, new advancements in electric vehicles are introduced, which may one day reduce the cost of batteries, making them [EVs] more affordable to everyone.
Despite the emissions produced during the manufacturing process, an electric car is still a greener option because it will emit fewer emissions throughout its lifecycle.
A Step Towards a Renewable Energy Source
When we consider reclaiming the lost environment, we must not overlook the elephant in the room: the electric power plant, which is also a major contributor to air pollution, but we cannot simply shut it down.
When discussing electric cars as greener options for the environment, it is important to remember that they run on the same electricity that is generated by burning fossil fuels.
If Pakistan is serious about making the transition to electric vehicles, it should look to renewable energy sources, at least for the sake of electric vehicles.
For the time being, we must also take electric power companies into consideration. Because the transition to electric vehicles is massive, it begs the question of whether Pakistan’s electric generating companies will be able to meet the soaring demand for electric vehicles. Because EVs require uninterrupted charging at home or at a charging station.
For the time being, all we can say is that Pakistan is on the path to an aspirational future plan. The introduction of electric vehicles will be a significant step forward for the country.
However, Pakistan must act quickly because human lives are at stake.