Pakistan’s EV push has gained momentum as two firms announced plans to install 500 charging stations nationwide within two years, underscoring both ambition and structural challenges. The move comes amid energy constraints, but the rapid rise of rooftop solar offers a viable pathway to integrate EV infrastructure into a more resilient energy ecosystem.

At present, Pakistan has an estimated 30 to 50 public EV charging stations, a figure that pales in comparison to the government’s target of 3,000 stations by 2030 under the National Electric Vehicle Policy 2025–2030. Bridging this gap, industry experts say, is not simply a matter of scaling numbers but addressing deep-rooted issues in power infrastructure, land access, and consumer confidence.

“The gap between 50 and 3,000 stations isn’t just a numbers problem, it’s a grid problem, a land problem, and a trust problem,” said Talha Khan, CEO of ORKO. He noted that fast-charging stations require a reliable three-phase electricity supply, which is often unavailable in areas where demand for EV infrastructure is expected to grow.

According to Khan, public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer the only viable pathway to scale. In such a model, the government would facilitate right-of-way access, streamline coordination with power utilities, and ensure policy continuity, while private firms bring in technology, capital, and operational expertise.

The newly announced collaboration between Solcraft, a renewable energy solutions provider, and ORKO, an AI-powered EV and fleet management platform, aims to address these gaps. The partnership will combine Solcraft’s infrastructure deployment capabilities with ORKO’s software-driven platform to offer integrated solutions spanning EV charging, fleet automation, and real-time fuel analytics.

The companies plan to install 500 chargers over a two-year period, focusing on both urban centres and key intercity corridors. The initiative is expected to serve a wide client base, including oil marketing companies (OMCs), logistics operators, automotive manufacturers, and public-sector entities.

Industry stakeholders view the partnership as timely, given the policy push to electrify transport and digitise the oil and gas supply chain. The EV policy targets 30% EV penetration in new vehicle sales by 2030, with a particular focus on two- and three-wheelers, which dominate Pakistan’s transport mix.

However, experts caution that financial incentives alone will not be sufficient to drive adoption.

“Subsidies lower the entry price, but they don’t fix range anxiety, charging access, or consumer trust,” said Zeeshan Ansari, CEO of Solcraft. “The missing piece is infrastructure confidence. A buyer will choose an EV when they know a working charger is within reach, not just on a government map.”

He emphasised the need for mandatory EV charging provisions in commercial real estate, conversion targets for fuel stations, and adoption of interoperable charging standards such as Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), ensuring compatibility across networks and vendors. Pakistan’s rapid expansion in rooftop solar installations, driven by high grid tariffs and frequent outages, presents another critical lever for the EV transition. Analysts argue that decentralised energy generation could help bypass grid constraints and improve the reliability of charging networks.

“Pakistan is generating solar power on rooftops faster than it can build grid infrastructure; that’s actually an opportunity hiding inside a crisis,” said Wahab Hussain Khan, COO of Solcraft. He added that integrating solar with EV charging creates a “micro-energy ecosystem” where vehicles can be charged during peak generation hours, reducing reliance on diesel generators and improving uptime.

Such solar-integrated charging solutions are particularly relevant in regions where grid reliability falls below 80%, making them not just environmentally sustainable but commercially viable for operators.

Beyond passenger vehicles, the electrification of commercial fleets is emerging as a high-impact opportunity. With predictable daily mileage and centralised operations, logistics and delivery fleets offer a clearer business case compared to individual consumers.

“Commercial fleets are the highest-leverage bet in Pakistan’s EV transition,” Khan said, adding that total cost of ownership (TCO) remains poorly understood among fleet operators. “They are still comparing sticker prices, not fuel savings over five years.”

According to ORKO’s internal data, fleet operators switching to EVs can recover their initial investment within 12 to 18 months, provided they have access to financing, maintenance networks, and performance data through telematics systems.

Looking ahead to 2030, industry leaders argue that Pakistan must focus on a few achievable but critical milestones to ensure EV adoption reaches scale. These include building at least 500 interoperable fast-charging points along major transport corridors, establishing domestic battery assembly capacity, and ensuring that EVs become cost-competitive with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles within a three-year ownership horizon, without reliance on subsidies.