Karachi (TDI): Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD is set to begin assembling cars in Pakistan by mid-2026, aiming to tap into the country’s nascent but rapidly growing market for electric and hybrid vehicles.
The company plans to roll out its first locally assembled model by July or August of next year, according to Danish Khaliq, Vice President for Sales and Strategy at BYD Pakistan.
Speaking to Reuters, Khaliq said the move is part of BYD’s broader push into emerging markets, especially as competition intensifies at home in China.
The local assembly plant, located near Karachi, is a joint venture between BYD and Mega Motor Company, a subsidiary of Hub Power. Construction began earlier this year in April, and once operational, the facility is expected to produce up to 25,000 vehicles annually on a double-shift basis.
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While the company has not announced when full production will commence, initial operations will rely on completely knocked down (CKD) kits, with imported electric parts and localized manufacturing of non-electric components.
Vehicles assembled at the site will first target the domestic market, though BYD is exploring the possibility of exporting to other right-hand drive countries in the region depending on logistics and cost factors.
“We believe demand in Pakistan will grow enough to match our output. We don’t expect to see excess capacity,” said Khaliq.
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BYD began delivering imported EVs in Pakistan in March 2025. While no official sales figures were shared, Khaliq noted that early sales exceeded internal targets by 30 percent, with several hundred units sold in the first few months.
Looking ahead to 2025, Khaliq expects the EV and plug-in hybrid market in Pakistan, currently estimated at just 1,000 units, to triple or even quadruple in size. BYD is targeting a 30% to 35% market share in this growing segment.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
