Kathmandu. Electric vehicles (EVs) have been making their presence strong in the Nepali market in recent years.
Four-wheelers, two-wheelers and three-wheelers running on diesel and petrol are rapidly overtaking EVs, according to the data.
The import of EVs from Birgunj, the main trade point of the country, shows that there has been a significant increase in the import of EVs compared to vehicles running on biofuel.
Imports of electric jeeps, cars and vans have increased by 185 percent, motorcycles by 105 percent and three-wheelers by 36 percent in the same period of the last fiscal year.
According to the Birgunj Customs Office, 322 electric jeeps, cars and vans worth Rs 943.3 million were imported from mid-July to mid-May of the last fiscal year, while 917 vehicles worth Rs 2.71 billion were imported in the same period of the current fiscal year.
Similarly, imports of 5,266 electric motorcycles worth Rs 67.93 crore and 4,417 electric three-wheelers worth Rs 53.89 crore were imported in the first 11 months of the last fiscal year.
In the same period of the current fiscal year, 10,815 electric motorcycles and 5,990 electric three-wheelers worth Rs 742.2 million were imported.
Meanwhile, the import of biofuel-run motorcycles and three-wheelers has increased slightly, while the import of jeeps, cars and vans has decreased by 30 percent.
In the same period of the last fiscal year, 961 jeeps, cars and vans worth Rs 2.10 billion were imported while 670 vehicles worth Rs 1.50 billion were imported in the same period of the current fiscal year. This is a decrease of 29 percent in terms of value and 30.28 percent in terms of quantity compared to the previous year.
In the review period, 44,395 units of unassembled motorcycles worth Rs 5.84 billion and 4,230 ready-made motorcycles worth Rs 401.8 million were imported through Birgunj checkpoint.
In the same period of the current fiscal year, 56,555 units of unassembled motorcycles and 6,113 ready-made motorcycles worth Rs 645.5 million were imported, according to the Customs Office.
Similarly, 2,037 three-wheelers worth Rs 395 million were imported in the first 11 months of the last fiscal year, while 2,374 vehicles worth Rs 510.6 million were imported in the same period of the current fiscal year. This is an increase of 30 percent in terms of value and 17 percent in terms of number compared to the previous year.
Udaya Singh Bista, information officer at the Birgunj Customs Office, said that consumers have been attracted to EVs due to the rising price of petroleum products and high maintenance and operation cost of fuel-run vehicles.
According to him, the tax on the import of fuel-run vehicles is more than 100 percent while the tax on electric vehicles is only 36 percent. He also said that EVs are eco-friendly, which is also increasing the attraction of consumers.
Due to the recent tension in the Middle East, there is a possibility of further increase in the prices of petroleum products, including diesel, petrol. Customs officials estimate that the demand for electric vehicles will increase further in the coming days.
According to experts, not only in the automobile sector, the use of LPG gas used for cooking is also gradually decreasing and Nepali consumers are gradually getting attracted towards electric stoves.
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