Prime Minister Imran Khan launched Pakistan’s first electric motorbike (E-bike) in a ceremony held today in Islamabad. The prime minister commended the initiative. He said that such initiatives will help Pakistan generate wealth and reduce its need to go to the IMF for loans. “Our people have been tested time and again, and each time, they have done well,” he said, speaking words of praise for the common Pakistani’s generosity. He said that his government is focused on saving the taxpayers’ money through austerity measures. “We are undertaking these measures to ensure that the public’s confidence in the government’s tax system is restored,” he stressed. The prime minister added that e-vehicles will also be beneficial for the environment. He lamented how previous governments did not take into account the environmental cost of their actions. He also stressed upon the importance of the Billion Tree Tsunami initiative of the government. The prime minister said Pakistan’s cities were expanding at a rapid pace, due to the population growth. He said Islamabad, Peshawar and Karachi had grown rapidly and were continuing to do so without planning. He said when these cities expanded without proper planning, they faced water, pollution and other issues. PM Khan regretted how previous governments had taken loans from the IMF and as a result, hindered wealth generation. He said it was of paramount importance that Pakistan utilised its raw materials to manufacture products and reduce its reliance on imports. “The more dollars coming in, in a country, makes it rich,” he said. “On the other hand, if the dollars start going out more than they come in, the country becomes poorer,” added the premier. The present government planned on launching the e-bike as part of its five-year Pakistan Electric Vehicles Policy 2020-2025 which was approved in 2020 and planned on targeting a robust electric vehicle market having 30% and 90% share in passenger vehicles and heavy-duty trucks by 2030 and 2040 respectively. Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI, with focus on eco-friendly environment, will launch Pakistan’s first locally manufactured electric motorbike (E-Bike) at a ceremony tomorrow.#PakistanGoingGreen#ZeroEmissions https://t.co/TKUv08e4vJ pic.twitter.com/1dEVcJKVKu — Prime Minister’s Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) July 7, 2021 The salient features of the policy included a phased transition of the automobile industry, as it would be covering two and three-wheelers and heavy commercial vehicles providing incentives to manufacturers. The E-Bike, to be launched by the prime minister, had been manufactured by a Pakistani company, Jolta Electric, and was considered as a major step towards electrifying the country’s automobile industry. The E-Bike, to be available in various models including JE-70, JE-70 L, JE-70 D, JE-100 L, JE-125 L, JE-Scooty, JE-Sports Bike, is energy efficient and can be charged overnight with other features such as no clutch and gear and low maintenance. Various models of Jolta E-Bikes have different speed specifications from 10 to 60 kilometres per hour and can cover a distance after full charge from 60 to 100 kilometres. Jolta EV technology, an initiative by AUJ Technologie Pvt. Ltd, was the EV technology provider, designed key components of electric vehicle kits for two, three, and four-wheelers. It had been through five years of product designing, development and manufacturing experience in China.