KARACHI: Karachi Port welcomed its first major roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) shipment carrying over 2,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on Friday, with the Chairman of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) inaugurating its arrival.
The massive consignment arrived aboard the MV Grande Shanghai, a cutting-edge hybrid energy vessel equipped with 2,500 square meters of solar panels and powered by 5 Megawatt-hour (MWh) lithium-ion batteries. Because of this technology, the vessel boasts the unique capability of operating with zero emissions while docked at the port.
KPT successfully managed the massive influx and completed the entire discharge operation in just 26 hours and 34 minutes, as per a press release.
The 2,000 vehicles were driven directly off the internal ramps - utilizing the vessel's specialized RoRo system - which drastically accelerated the discharge process.
This delivery marked the largest single shipment of electric vehicles to reach Pakistan, signaling a massive surge in local demand for eco-friendly transportation and a highly efficient future for the country's maritime logistics.
This arrival coincides with a rapidly accelerating momentum for electric mobility in Pakistan, driven by the government's New Energy Vehicle Policy (2025-30) which targets NEVs to account for 30% of new vehicle sales by 2030.
To sustain this influx, Mega Motor Company, the automotive subsidiary of Hub Power Company (HUBCO) partnering with global EV giant BYD—is advancing plans for a localized EV ecosystem. The joint venture achieved financial close earlier this year to construct a dedicated car production plant in Karachi, aiming to roll out its first locally assembled vehicles by late 2026.
Alongside manufacturing, the partnership is establishing a nationwide universal charging network through HUBCO Green to mitigate critical infrastructure bottlenecks and support the mass adoption of sustainable transit across the country.
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