While Pakistan pushes for Electric vehicles, a faulty power grid and regular Electricity cuts are making EVs a struggle for early adopters.
The government encourages the purchase of an EV. The Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, recently called on the Pakistanis to move towards EVs to reduce imports of fossil fuel. Cars are being introduced on a monthly basis. Tax breaks are being made available from the auto policy.
However, the answer to this question is not being answered honestly. What do you do with your EV after the electricity crisis in Pakistan?. Early adopters of EVs are struggling in Pakistan at the moment.
The Karachi E-Bus Crisis: An Alert
The three electric bus routes were suspended in Karachi on June 2, 2026. At first, this was not due to mechanical problems or the lack of buses. It was a three-day power outage at the Mehran Depot charging station.
100+ electric buses were parked as there was no electric power to charge them. Some 12,000 passengers were trapped. The EV-1 track between Tank Chowk and Seaview. The EV-3 route from Bahria Town to Malir Halt. Pink Bus for women’s service. All buses were suspended.
Authorities state complaints were not addressed to K-Electric for days. Later, in a statement, a K-Electric spokeswoman stated that the problem was due to “excessive load on the consumer side” rather than load-shedding.
However, this is important for an EV owner. Not a single bus was running. No chargers were working.
The Grids Are Built To Be Overloaded
In Pakistan, there are 41 GW of installed capacity generating units. Sounds impressive. However, thermal plants run at only a 40 percent efficiency rate. The grid is unable to transport electricity to its place of use, also presenting a major challenge to wind power.
With the current demand, the grid is already overloaded. Just adding thousands of EVs to charge every night will not help.
The study based on the real power distribution network in Pakistan showed that the installation of SPS units had raised the active power losses by 18 percent and the voltage imbalance by almost 22 percent.
Quick charging stations require dependable three-phase electricity, which is not available in many high-traffic localities, said Talha Khan, CEO of ORKO.
At present, Pakistan has 30 to 50 public EV charging stations. They are mostly located in upscale malls and DHA localities of Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad. Moreover, a 3000-station goal by 2030 seems unrealistic when a basic electric supply is still a problem.
The Expense of Electricity
Electricity is extremely expensive, even if the grid is running. The government claims that EVs save on fuel costs, but there is an over 80 percent hike in electricity rates in big cities.
Here is the experience of one EV driver from Islamabad. He will keep an eye on his BYD Atto’s battery temperature on a hot summer day of 45°C. The battery was actively cooled with the individual system to reduce the battery temperature to less than 38 degrees. But he had also spotted that his electricity bill had increased almost doubled than of petrol car.
The history of mathematics in favor of EVs is shifting. Petrol prices have remained steady while electricity prices keep going up.
What Does This Mean for You?
Before deciding to switch to an EV in Pakistan, here are a few factors that you should consider.
Do you have stable electricity at home? Stable power does not exist in all places of Karachi, Lahore, or Islamabad. More frequent outages make your EV a much heavier investment.
Are you able to install a standalone charger? Three-phase power is needed for 3 phase fast charging at home. This infrastructure doesn’t exist in many housing neighborhoods, particularly in older ones.
What would your strategy be if that didn’t work out? There was no other alternative at the Karachi bus depot. The buses have just stopped the services. Do you have a generator in case of a power outage? Do you plan to put solar panels in your home?
Conclusion
Utilizing solar panels and charging at peak hours of sunlight could be a helpful step for EV owners. Also, the government plans to create 3,000 charging stations across the country, but this plan is hanging up on regulatory approval and utility coordination.
This is the reality for the time being. There is no end to Pakistan’s power crisis anytime soon. The grid is overloaded. Outages are common. There is limited charging infrastructure available.
