April 21: The import of electric vehicles (EVs) has increased by 66.39 per cent in the first nine months of the current fiscal year compared to the corresponding period of the last fiscal year.

According to the Department of Customs, a total of 2,451 EVs were imported in the review period against 1,473 in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

The highest number of EVs was imported from India followed by China. Altogether 1,755 EVs of 100 kilowatt capacity were brought in the country from India during the period while there were 381 EVs of the same capacity imported from China.

EVs of 100 to 300 kilowatt capacity amounting to over Rs 7 billion were imported from various countries such as South Korea, Indonesia and the UK since mid-July 2022 to mid-April 2023, according to the department.

EVs worth over Rs 4.7 billion were imported from India since the beginning of the current fiscal year till mid-April.

EVs of Tata and Mahindra companies made up the most of the imports from India while BYD, MG and Tesla were mostly imported from China.

The government collected over Rs 1.9 billion in revenue from the imports of 2,451 EVs in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, according to the Department of Customs. --RSS