$150m BYD plant launch in Sindh delayed again

KARACHI: The assembly plant of BYD in Gharo, Sindh, which was scheduled to become operational in the first half of FY26, has missed the deadline.

According to a note from Topline Securities, Hub Power Company Ltd (Hubco) informed analysts this week that it plans to bring the BYD assembly plant online in the second half of 2026, with a production capacity of 25,000 units per year, scalable to 50,000 units. However, two months have already passed.

On Feb 28, 2025, Hubco informed analysts that Mega Motor Company (Pvt) Ltd (MMCPL) was setting up an auto assembly plant in Sindh, to become operational in 1HFY26, along with four flagship and three service dealerships across Pakistan’s three major cities. Hubco has a 50 per cent stake in the project.

In June 2024, Hub Power, through its wholly owned subsidiary HPHL and its associated company MMCPL, entered into a new electric vehicle business in Pakistan with BYD Auto Industry Company. The project is a joint venture between China’s electric vehicle giant and Mega Motor, a subsidiary of Hub Power.

Mega Motor silent on assembly delay reasons

MMCPL did not respond to the Dawn queries sent via its PR company regarding the reasons for the delay to local vehicle assembly, the current status of the assembly plant, the localization plan, the total import of BYD vehicles prior to the start of local assembly, and the target for vehicle assembly in the first year of operation.

The brokerage house said that Hubco management stated that the total project investment is $150 million, of which $90m is project financing. The company is targeting a 30pc share of the combined EV/PHEV segment by 2030.

In parallel, Hubco is expanding its EV charging infrastructure through Hubco Green. 24 DC fast-charging sites are currently operational, with chargers installed every 200km along the Karachi-Peshawar motorway network. The company plans to reduce this spacing to 100km. Charging time on these chargers is around 25-45 minutes.

Chery Q launch

Chery Master Pakistan (CMP) on Saturday said it will launch the all-electric Chery Q at the Pakistan Auto Show (PAPS) on Sept 18 as electric vehicles continue to gain ground in the country’s automobile market.

According to figures shared by the company, the new energy vehicle (NEV) segment grew by 392pc in FY26 and now accounts for around 15pc of the overall automobile market.

The company is also seeking to tap into Pakistan’s rapidly expanding rooftop solar market by positioning electric mobility as a way for households to put surplus solar generation to more productive use.

CMP said a conventional petrol vehicle driven around 20,000 kilometres annually could consume approximately Rs488,000 worth of fuel. In a real-world usage calculation based on efficiency of around 7.2 km per unit, the annual energy cost of operating the Chery Q could fall to approximately Rs30,000 for households able to utilise surplus solar power for charging.

The economics could become increasingly relevant as rooftop solar penetration rises across Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2026