Four Major Chinese EV Automakers Building Assembly Plants in Pakistan

Sep 15

Pakistani auto industry, currently dominated by Japanese automakers building ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles, is expected to be transformed with the arrival of Chinese new energy vehicles (NEV) manufacturers. Beyond Your Dreams (BYD), Chang'an, Great Wall Motors (GWM) and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) are planning to build plants in Pakistan. Coming on the heels of the ongoing solar revolution in the country, these new EV entrants are helping accelerate Pakistan's transition to clean energy. These auto plants also create an opportunity for Pakistan to become a significant exporter of electric vehicles to developing nations.

BYD EV. Source: CNBC

BYD, operating in Pakistan through a partnership with Mega Motor Company (a subsidiary of Hubco), has started building a $150 million assembly plant in Gharo, Sindh. Its initial target is to produce 25,000 units annually, with the capacity to scale up to 50,000 units a year. It is expected to launch in the second half of 2026, with equipment installation and final commissioning currently underway. It plans to produce four models, ranging from entry-level plug-in hybrid Atto-2 to higher-end all-electric Seal and Sea-lion 7 Sedan and SUV.

Chinese EV Factories Overseas. Source: The Economist

Chang'an Motors has a joint venture with Master Motors in Pakistan. It is operating a state-of-the-art plant in Karachi with capacity to produce 30,000 units. The plant is already fully operational for fuel-powered vehicles, but Changan is steadily adapting its assembly infrastructure to introduce modular Lumin EV and hybrid lines over the 2026–2027 fiscal periods.

Great Wall Motors is partnering with local manufacturing giant Sazgar Engineering. It is expanding its capacity to produce up to 54,000 SUVs and New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) annually.

SAIC's factory located in Lahore is engineered for an operational capacity of roughly 25,000 to 30,000 vehicles per year. SAIC’s MG brand was an early mover, transitioning from completely built imports to local CKD assembly lines. They are actively producing and expanding locally assembled variants, particularly focusing on their plugin-in hybrid crossover lineup to gain market share.

Chinese automakers currently account for 20% of all auto sales in Pakistan while Japanese automakers Suzuki, Toyota, and Honda hold most of the remaining 80% market share. Kamran Kamal, a BYD Pakistan executive, has told Pakistani media that the new energy vehicles Chinese automakers are betting on will make up as much as 50% of passenger vehicles sold in Pakistan by 2030.

The ongoing solar revolution and new energy vehicles (NEV) boom in Pakistan will help reduce energy imports, improve energy security and mitigate the impact of climate change. Pakistan government policies should fully support this consumer-led movement toward the country's energy independence.

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Riaz Haq

Geely enters Pakistan

https://www.nation.com.pk/16-Sep-2026/geely-s-pakistan-entry-long-term-commitment-bestway-group-md

LAHORE - Bestway Automotive Private Limited (BAL), the first and only authorised distributor and official representative of Geely Auto in Pakistan, hosted a media meet in Lahore on Tuesday to introduce Geely, outline its plans for Pakistan and highlight Bestway’s long-term commitment to the country’s automotive and new-energy mobility ecosystem.

The media interaction, held ahead of Geely’s upcoming market launch, brought together media for a discussion on the partnership, Geely’s global position, its technology and safety capabilities, and Bestway Automotive’s plans for Pakistan. Muhammad Irfan Anwar Sheikh, Group Managing Director of Bestway Group’s non-banking businesses in Pakistan, said that the partnership reflects the strength and long-term investment strategy of Bestway Group, which has built a substantial presence in Pakistan across multiple sectors, including cement, banking, insurance, packaging, renewable technology and consultancy.

“For us, this partnership is a long-term commitment to Pakistan. Bestway Group has been investing in and building businesses here for decades, across sectors including cement and banking, and that experience and track record provide reassurance to our stakeholders, partners and customers that we are here to build for the long term. With Geely, we are bringing together that local strength and experience with the technology, safety and global capabilities of a major automotive manufacturer,” Sheikh said. The partnership will initially see Geely vehicles introduced as Completely Built Units (CBUs), with bookings set to open before the end of 2026, with Bestway Automotive planning local assembly at an existing state-of-the-art CKD facility recently acquired by the Company.

Geely brings extensive global experience across new-energy and internal combustion engine vehicles, intelligent mobility and automotive engineering, with a focus on advanced mobility technologies, connectivity and modern features, supported by one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive automotive safety testing facilities. The automotive brands owned, controlled, or strategically invested in by Geely include iconic brands such as Volvo, Lotus, Aston Martin, Smart, Zeekr and Lynk & Co alongside Proton, Polestar, LEVC (the iconic London electric black cab), Livan Automotive, Farizon Auto, Radar Auto (Riddara) and motorcycle brands (Benelli, QJMotor, and Keeway). The company sold more than 3.02 million vehicles globally in 2025, including 1.69 million NEVs, while its international network covered 88 countries and regions with more than 1,200 outlets by year-end.

Rain, thunderstorm likely in Kashmir, adjoining areas on Thursday

The leadership of Bestway Group includes Sir Anwar Pervez OBE H Pk, Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Bestway Group, and Lord Zameer Mohammed Choudrey CBE SI Pk, Chairman, Bestway Group. Bestway Automotive said that its commitment will extend beyond vehicle sales to providing unparalleled after sale services and supporting the wider mobility ecosystem in Pakistan and contributing to the country’s transition towards new-energy mobility.

The upcoming launch will mark the beginning of a long-term journey focused on bringing advanced automotive technology and safety to Pakistani consumers while contributing to the development of Pakistan’s evolving automotive and mobility sector.

Oct 8
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Pakistan and China are preparing to take the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into a new phase focused on manufacturing, exports, technology and private investment.

Under CPEC 2.0, Pakistan aims to become a production hub connecting Chinese businesses with markets across South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa, according to Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal.

The first phase delivered 43 projects worth around $25 billion, including 17 energy projects that added approximately 8,900 megawatts to Pakistan’s national grid.

The next phase will focus on industrial development, agricultural modernisation, mining, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, e-commerce and industrial automation.

Gwadar is also expected to expand beyond port operations into logistics, fisheries, processing, tourism and other value-added industries.

CPEC 2.0 will align with Pakistan’s URAAN Pakistan development framework, with priorities including economic growth, innovation, green development, employment and regional connectivity.

The government also wants to attract Chinese manufacturers, strengthen local supply chains and help Pakistani businesses enter international markets. A proposed Pakistan-China Knowledge Corridor would support skills training, research and technology cooperation.

The long-term goal is to move Pakistan beyond infrastructure development towards higher-value production and exports.

Disclaimer: This post is based on publicly available reports. Images may be AI-generated or AI-enhanced and are for illustrative purposes only.

#CPEC #Pakistan #China #Investment #AI #Gwadar #Export #Pakistan

on Monday
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Pakistan, China to take CPEC beyond infrastructure

https://mettisglobal.news/Pakistan-China-to-take-CPEC-beyond-infras...

October 12, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan and China are moving the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into a more ambitious second phase that shifts the focus from building infrastructure to industrial partnership, from government-led projects to business-to-business cooperation, and from bilateral connectivity to regional and global value chains.Buy Maps

The first phase delivered 43 projects worth about $25bn, including 17 energy projects that added around 8,900MW to the national grid, two coal mines, the Matiari-Lahore high-voltage transmission line, major transport links and some 200,000 direct jobs.

The new phase will be built around industrialisation as its main economic engine, with Pakistan positioned as a production and export base linking China with South Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

It will also widen into agriculture modernisation, responsible mining, data, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud infrastructure, e-commerce, cybersecurity, digital payments and industrial automation, while Gwadar is to move from a transit point to a hub that creates value through its port, free zone, logistics, fisheries, processing and tourism.

Federal Minister for Planning and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal laid out the vision in an article published by China Daily, APP reported.

Recalling his association with CPEC since its start in 2013, he said the corridor’s strength lies in the two countries’ ability to think long term and find practical solutions together, rather than in any single project.

He said CPEC 2.0 will merge with URAAN Pakistan, the national transformation framework, whose priorities match the corridor’s five pillars of growth, innovation, green development, livelihoods, and openness and regional connectivity.

He said China is a partner and accelerator of Pakistan’s industrial upgrading while Pakistan remains the owner of its priorities, and that private enterprise is being brought to the centre of the corridor, with success measured by Chinese firms manufacturing profitably in Pakistan and Pakistani producers entering Chinese and global markets.

He said Pakistan is pursuing a deeper AI partnership with China covering joint research, computing infrastructure, skills, start-ups and responsible governance, and has proposed a Pakistan-China Knowledge Corridor as a central pillar of CPEC 2.0, backed by demand-driven training and apprenticeships.

He added that Pakistan offers Chinese companies a large market, a young labour force, natural resources and access to the Arabian Sea, and is adapting the principles behind China’s industrial transformation, including policy consistency, empowered institutions, infrastructure readiness and investment facilitation, to its own conditions.

He said the government’s commitment to protecting Chinese citizens, institutions and projects is unwavering, and that by 2047 the corridor’s strongest legacy will be a more capable Pakistan that produces, innovates and exports at a higher level.

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Four Major Chinese EV Automakers Building Assembly Plants in Pakistan

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Geely enters Pakistan

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