KARACHI: The Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) has raised concerns over the government’s mandatory electric vehicle (EV) charging requirements at petroleum retail outlets, calling for a review of directives that tie K-Form issuance and new retail outlet approvals to EV charger availability.
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In a letter to Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervez Malik, the OCAC highlighted operational and commercial challenges faced by oil marketing companies (OMCs) under the New Energy Vehicles (NEV) policy. While expressing support for the government’s long-term vision of cleaner energy and environmental sustainability, the council noted that OMCs were not consulted during the policy’s formulation.
Under current regulations, OMCs are expected to provide 10% EV charging availability at outlets by 2030. However, OCAC pointed out that as of November 2025, only 2,700–3,000 EVs were in operation nationwide, far below the projected target of 125,000 vehicles. Installing a single Level-3 charger requires Rs15–20 million, excluding additional costs for transformers and cabling, with most stations operating at a loss due to low utilisation.
The council also flagged implementation hurdles, including delays in no-objection certificate issuance, restrictions on new outlet layouts unless chargers are installed, and the linkage of K-Form approvals to Level-3 EV infrastructure. OCAC noted that globally, high-capacity EV charging is mostly located at residential complexes, commercial centers, and public parking areas—locations more suitable for extended parking than petroleum retail outlets.
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To address these challenges, OCAC recommended a phased, demand-driven approach in consultation with stakeholders, including the Ministry of Climate Change, Petroleum Division, Ogra, and the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority. The council said that once EV adoption rises and fiscal incentives are clear, OMCs would expand charging infrastructure based on commercially viable principles, similar to previous experiences with alternative fuels like compressed natural gas.