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BYD Pakistan will lean on imported cars when it begins selling and plans to build up domestic production over time. The Chinese electric vehicle maker’s long-term aim, according to partner Hub Power Company Limited (HUBCO), is a local share of 80 percent in vehicle production.
The two statements describe a long road. Imports come first, localisation later, and the second step is not guaranteed.
What HUBCO says
HUBCO, BYD’s partner in its Pakistan business plan, says the goal is to reduce reliance on imports, bring down production costs and strengthen the domestic side of the auto industry.
It also sees spill-over effects. Higher local production could create investment openings in parts manufacturing, supply chains and related industrial sectors.
The target comes with conditions. HUBCO says progress will be phased and will depend on investment, production capacity and the industrial and policy environment.
Imports have a job in the meantime. Continued sales of imported vehicles in the early stage, HUBCO says, will help BYD stay available to buyers and move its business expansion forward.
Where BYD already stands
BYD is not starting from zero. Its Pakistan business is nearing local production at a $150 million assembly plant in Gharo, Sindh, which is expected to assemble about 25,000 vehicles a year once operational. The plant is undergoing equipment installation and commissioning.
BYD Pakistan also received its largest shipment so far, more than 2,000 vehicles, on a roll-on/roll-off vessel. Imported vehicles are meant to support deliveries and dealer stock until local production starts.
On infrastructure, HUBCO Green Private Limited and BYD Pakistan have set up 19 public DC fast-charging stations along a 1,300-kilometre corridor between Karachi and Peshawar.
| Stage | What has been reported |
|---|---|
| Now | Imported vehicles continue to be sold. |
| Next | Gharo plant, 25,000 vehicles a year at full capacity |
| Later | 80 percent local share in production (HUBCO target, conditional) |
Why localisation matters for price
Assembly at home changes the cost equation. Fully imported vehicles face relatively high import duties, so local assembly gives a cost advantage and may improve affordability.
That is also why 80 percent is a bigger commitment than assembly alone. Duties apply to the car as a whole, but a high local share requires batteries, motors and components to be made or sourced in Pakistan, which takes much more investment than putting vehicles together from kits.
How far the gap is
In July 2025, a company executive said the plant would begin by assembling imported parts, with some non-electric components produced locally. A plant that starts this way sits well below 80 percent.
HUBCO’s statement gives no year for reaching the target, no figures for the local share at the start and no investment amount tied to it. Those are the numbers that would show how steep the climb is.
The Pakistan angle
The statement lands as the government talks up EV adoption. Haroon Akhtar Khan, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Industries and Production, said on October 13 that Pakistan aims for a 30 percent EV share by 2030 and that the forthcoming Auto Policy would give electric vehicles particular weight.
The policy’s content will matter to BYD. HUBCO ties its localisation goal to industrial and policy conditions, so incentives, duty structure and support for suppliers could decide whether 80 percent is reachable.
Bottom Line
Starting with imports is a sensible way to test demand while a plant comes online. The real test is whether Pakistani suppliers can meet the quality and volume a global EV maker requires.
Parts makers need orders large enough to justify new lines, and orders depend on vehicle volumes that, for now, remain modest. That circular problem has limited localisation in Pakistan’s car industry before.
The 80 percent figure is best read as an aspiration with conditions, not a commitment with a date. A published timetable, interim local-content milestones and named supplier agreements would turn it into something readers can measure.
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