My Family's Contribution to Climate Action: Rooftop Solar and Electric Vehicles

[Riaz Haq]

In response to growing reports of extreme heat and floods around the world, my wife and I are doing our part to reduce our carbon footprint: We now have rooftop solar panels as well as two electric vehicles. In fact, we have had rooftop solar since 2019. My wife Yasmeen traded in her Toyota Prius Hybrid car for an all-electric Chevrolet Bolt in 2019, and I have recently traded in my gasoline-powered Mercedes sedan for a Tesla Model Y 2022. Both of us see these actions as the least we can do to help our future generations. We all need to help bring about the clean energy revolution. 

My New Tesla Model Y 2022

Our rooftop solar panels have been generating enough electricity to power our home for the last three years. The SunRun solar app we have shows that our solar panels generated 8,500 kWh of electricity in the last 12 months, reducing CO2 emissions produced by 6,622 pounds of coal and 676 gallons of gasoline. 

Rooftop Solar Panels on Our House

Silicon Valley where I live is at the forefront of the nascent clean energy revolution led by Tesla. Tesla is more than an electric car company; the company also supplies solar panels and batteries. Other automakers are also taking their cues from Tesla.  China's BYD Auto has only recently been surpassed by Tesla in production volumes. Auto giants General Motors and BMW are both building electric cars and planning to build "gigafactories" like Tesla's to manufacture battery packs for vehicles and homes. Pakistan is building up renewable power generation capacity. The country has also recently announced its National Electric Vehicle Policy that offers incentives to transition to clean energy.

The global transportation sector is a major polluter and in 2020 produced approximately 7.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Passenger cars were the biggest source of emissions that year, accounting for 41 percent of global transportation emissions.

CO2 Emissions by the Transport Sector. Source: Statista

Bloomberg estimates that batteries and electric transmission account for about 40% of passenger cars’ costs. European demand is met by mainly Japanese and South Korean battery makers like Panasonic, LG Chem Ltd. and Samsung SDI Co. In the U.S., Tesla has built its own battery cells at its Gigafactory to manage costs and satisfy demand for the cars it produces. Chinese demand for battery packs is met by BYD.

My wife and I have taken it to heart to think globally and act locally. Each of us can make our own modest contribution to helping fight global climate change for the sake of our future generations. We owe it to our children and grandchildren. The time to act is NOW!

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[Riaz Haq]

Fortunately, the United States has finally decided to address it head-on: The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, easily the largest climate bill in U.S. history, has cleared both the Senate and the House. It invests $369 billion to help get the country off fossil fuels and gives the Department of Energy $250 billion to lend to companies shaping the clean energy future. Together, these measures will leverage many hundreds of billions of dollars spent by businesses and households alike, producing and purchasing things like electric vehicles, solar panels and heat pumps.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/opinion/environment/climate-bill...

The bill’s High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program offers up to $8,000 to install heat pumps that both cool and heat homes, replacing air-conditioners and, typically, gas furnaces. If the current water heater runs on gas, the program supports going all in with a heat pump (a $1,750 rebate).

Fully electrifying one’s home also often means improving electric wiring (another $2,500 rebate), and the full benefits of home electrification only come with sealing gaps and insulating ($1,600). Switch from a gas range to an induction stove and get up to $840 back. Add solar panels on the roof (a 30 percent tax credit), batteries as backup (30 percent) and an electric vehicle in the garage (up to $7,500 per new car and $4,000 per used car), and home electrification is complete.

[Riaz Haq]

China adopted classic cutthroat pricing to shift a record 120,427 megawatts (MW) of solar module capacity exports in the first half of 2024, with Pakistan being Asia's largest single market, accounting for 10,450 MW.

Key to the strong export flow was a steep cut in module prices, which averaged 13.7 cents per megawatt over the first half of 2024, compared to an average of 18 cents/MW for the whole of 2023.

https://mettisglobal.news/pakistan-emerges-as-largest-asian-buyer-i...

The Netherlands remained the top country market for China's modules, taking in 23,421 MW of capacity during the opening half of the year.

Brazil was China's second largest market during the first half of the year, snapping up 10,511 MW of capacity.

Pakistan was the world's third and Asia's largest single market, accounting for 10,450 MW.

Meanwhile, India snapped up 8,324 MW.

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Key Markets

Europe was the top destination for China's solar modules, accounting for 43% of the total, or 52,158 MW.

That total was down 20% from the same period in 2023, as high interest rates, economic growth concerns and trade tensions with China stifled solar installation demand across the continent.

Nonetheless, Europe's purchase total was the second highest tally for a half-year period behind the first half of 2023.

The Netherlands remained the top country market for China's modules, taking in 23,421 MW of capacity during the opening half of the year.

While that total was 25% less than during the opening half of 2023, The Netherlands' purchases were still more than twice the size of any other nation during the first half of the year.

Spain, Germany and Italy were also notable buyers in Europe, but all also showed steep year-on year contractions in purchase volumes, Ember data shows.

Brazil was China's second largest market during the first half of the year, snapping up 10,511 MW of capacity.

That total was up 10% from the same period in 2023, and contrasts with a slight contraction in imports by the Latin American region as a whole during the first half of the year.

Growth Areas

Asia was the second largest regional destination for China's solar parts, accounting for a record 32,109 MW of capacity, or around 27% of the total.

That total was 86% more than during the first half of 2023, and was driven mainly by strong growth in South Asia. Meanwhile, India snapped up 8,324 MW.

Both markets recorded more than 200% jumps in solar imports from the same period in 2023, and represent key growth markets for China in the future.

The Middle East was another key destination for China so far this year, with exports to the region topping 13,000 MW for the first half of the year to account for a record 11% share of China's total solar panel and parts exports.

That compares to 6,228 MW during the first half of 2023, and was driven in large part by strong purchases by Saudi Arabia (7,649 MW), United Arab Emirates (1,892 MW) and Oman (1,396 MW).

Elsewhere, North America remained a tiny market for Chinese panels and parts due to the ongoing trade spat between China and the United States, while Africa's purchases shrank by around 9% from the first half of 2023, and accounted for only 4.3% of China's total sales

[Riaz Haq]

EV Giant BYD Plans to Build Karachi Plant as Part of Entry into Pakistan – BNN Bloomberg

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-15/ev-giant-byd-pla...

Workers assemble a BYD Co. Dolphin compact hatchback electric vehicle inside the company's new plant in Nikhom Phatthana, Rayong province, Thailand, on Thursday, July 4, 2024. BYD's shares have defied heavy losses in EV stocks around the world to gain more than 6% in Hong Kong this year thanks to the introduction of the fifth generation of its plug-in hybrid drive system in May. Photographer: Valeria Mongelli/Bloomberg (Valeria Mongelli/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Chinese electric carmaker BYD Co. plans to build a factory in Karachi with a local partner to capture a share of Pakistan’s growing EV market, according to a person familiar with the matter.The company will reveal three models it plans to sell in Pakistan, including an SUV and a sedan, at its brand launch on Saturday, said the person, who asked not to be identified due to rules on speaking to media. BYD aims to introduce additional models, including both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, to the market at a later date. A BYD spokesperson confirmed it planned to enter the market with battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles but declined to comment on its plans to invest in a factory in Pakistan and other details. Pakistan is the world’s fifth-largest nation by population that has seen Chinese companies including Great Wall Motor Co., SAIC Motor Corp. and Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. enter the market in recent years and compete with Japanese companies including Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Corp.’s local units. EV sales are still marginal in Pakistan relative to total auto sales.BYD has teamed up with one of Pakistan’s largest business groups, Mega Conglomerate Pvt., in a partnership deal that goes beyond the usual dealership model they have in most markets, the person said. The Chinese company will be working in a joint venture with Mega Motors, a subsidiary of Hub Power Co., Pakistan’s largest independent electricity producer.
The factory will be set up near Karachi’s Port Qasim area that houses assembly plants for other automobile companies including Toyota, Suzuki Motor Corp. and Kia Corp.’s local units. It will be completed in the first half of 2026 with exact details of the plant still under discussion, according to the person.BYD will set up showrooms in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad to start selling in the fourth quarter this year, said the person.China’s best-selling car brand, which sold three million units in 2023, is making a big push especially in Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America, to capitalize on its status as a top EV and hybrid maker.The Shenzhen-based firm, which has a presence in more than 80 countries, has signed deals with Hungary, Turkey and Brazil to start EV production. Its first factory outside of China opened in Thailand last month.

[Riaz Haq]

Faseeh Mangi
@FaseehMangi
Changan launches EVs in Pakistan

The cars were designed in Italy by designers who worked on Buggati and Lamborghini Urus

Deepal L07 and S07 are priced at 15.5m-16.5m rupee

https://x.com/FaseehMangi/status/1824347849758302478

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DEEPAL: Changan Motors unveils electric-first brand in Pakistan

https://arynews.tv/master-changan-motors-unveils-electric-first-bra...

KARACHI: Master Changan Motors Limited (MCML), a joint venture between Master Group of Industries and Changan International, unveils Changan’s electric-first brand, DEEPAL on August 16th, 2024, at Dolmen Mall Clifton, Karachi. Customers can have first-hand experience and test drive cars at Dolmen Mall until the 25th of August.

MCML unveiled the brand Deepal with 2 models, L07, the pure electric sports luxury sedan and S07 the pure electric premium SUV. Both cars offer thrilling 250 HP and 320 Nm of instant torque, going from 0-100 km/hr in just 5.9 seconds. The Ternary Lithium battery by CATL has a capacity of 66.8 kWh and provides an exceptional range of up to 540 km in L07 and 485 km in S07. The cars are designed in Italy in Changan’s R&D center and have won the German RedDot design award in 2023 with its head-turning futuristic design language.

The indicative introductory price announced is comparable to other cars with gasoline engines (both ICE & Hybrids). MCML is offering a complementary fast home charger of 7kW with every car that can charge in 5-8 hours.

The word DEEPAL signifies Deep Friendship (Pal), the brand was born from a joint partnership between three global giants: Changan, Huawei, and CATL who join hands to create best value for customers using economies of scale. Changan, one of China’s largest and oldest automobile brands developed the EV-first EPA-01 platform. Huawei contributes with its advanced Harmony OS intelligent software using the Snapdragon 8155 processor, while CATL, the world’s leading battery manufacturer, provides the Ternary Lithium battery with 99% SOC accuracy virtually eliminating the range anxiety.

41% of Pakistan’s energy mix is based on non-fossil fuel energy generation, on the other hand the oil import bill of USD 15.16bn is Pakistan’s largest imported commodity that has the most burden on the country’s foreign reserves. It makes

[Riaz Haq]

Tesla's Chinese Rival BYD Set To Electrify Pakistan: To Open New EV Plant and Showrooms - BYD (OTC:BYDDY) - Benzinga


ZINGER KEY POINTS
BYD will build an EV plant near Karachi's Port Qasim and open showrooms in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.
The new factory, expected to be completed by mid-2026, marks BYD's strategic entry into Pakistan’s growing but small EV market.

https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/08/40419284/teslas-chi...

BYD Co., Ltd. BYDDY is reportedly set to establish an electric vehicle (EV) plant in Pakistan as part of its strategy to grow its presence in the global auto market.

At its brand launch on Saturday, the company will display three models it plans to sell in Pakistan, including an SUV and a sedan, reported Bloomberg.

BYD plans to launch new models, including battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, to the market later.

A BYD spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg that the company plans to enter the market with battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles but declined to comment on the factory investment in Pakistan and other specifics.



BYD Co., Ltd. BYDDY is reportedly set to establish an electric vehicle (EV) plant in Pakistan as part of its strategy to grow its presence in the global auto market.

At its brand launch on Saturday, the company will display three models it plans to sell in Pakistan, including an SUV and a sedan, reported Bloomberg.

BYD plans to launch new models, including battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, to the market later.

A BYD spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg that the company plans to enter the market with battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles but declined to comment on the factory investment in Pakistan and other specifics.

[Riaz Haq]

China's BYD plans car plant in Karachi as part of Pakistan entry | Reuters


https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/chinas-byd-pl...

KARACHI, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD (002594.SZ) on Saturday announced plans to open a car production plant in Pakistan, where it will also start selling three models through a partnership with Mega Motors.
BYD is the first major new electric vehicle (NEV) entrant in the Pakistani market, where there is a lack of charging infrastructure.
"Our entry into the Pakistani market is not just about bringing advanced vehicles to consumers," said Liu Xueliang, BYD's general manager for Asia Pacific.
"It's about driving a broader vision of environmental responsibility and technological innovation."
BYD also plans to open three "flagship stores and experience centres" in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, the company said at a launch event in Lahore, adding it plans to start selling two SUV models and a sedan from the fourth quarter of 2024.
Mega Motors is a unit of Pakistan's largest private utility Hub Power Co Ltd (HPWR.PSX), known as Hubco.
"We will establish Pakistan's first NEV assembly plant... dedicated to producing BYD's cutting-edge new energy vehicles," said Hubco Chief Executive Kamran Kamal, who described the deal as a "landmark investment".
The new plant will begin operations in 2026, Kamal told Reuters.
Hubco will setup fast-charging stations across major cities, motorways and highways to enhance Pakistan's charging infrastructure.

[Riaz Haq]

EVs’ manufacturing licenses: two, three wheelers take front seat in Pakistan - Technology - Business Recorder


https://www.brecorder.com/news/40273844

In Pakistan, 32 companies have so far received manufacturing licenses under the Electric Vehicles (EVs) Policy 2020–2025 and all of them are two and three wheeler manufacturers, a govt official told Business Recorder on Friday.

No four wheel manufacturer has approached the government till date for the license under EVs policy, said Asim Ayaz, General Manager Policy, Engineering Development Board (EDB).

“One or two companies are working on EV four wheelers. However, no formal request has been received so far for the licenses,” he said. “We believe that EV penetration will be more in 2-3 wheelers, which shows the interest of manufacturers. And it will happen at a fast rate.”

The electrification of 2-3 wheelers would be followed by cars, but at a slower rate, he added. “Electrification of cars will be followed by buses on fixed routes.”

According to the Ministry of Climate Change, the transport sector is the leading factor in the deterioration of environmental conditions with a share of 43% in Pakistan’s current environmental woes. Pakistan is one of the most affected countries due to climate change.



To put things in perspective, there are 26,884,786 registered motorcycles (two-wheels) in Pakistan; 1,001,860 three-wheelers; 4,499,423 four-wheel vehicles, according to Pakistan Economic Survey 2022-23. The total registered vehicles including two-, three-, four-wheels, buses and trucks on Pakistan roads are 34,907,449. The number includes all vehicles registered till September 2022.

The government of Pakistan approved an ambitious National Electric Vehicles Policy (NEVP) in 2019 that aimed at seeing electric vehicles take 30% share of all the passenger vehicle and heavy-duty truck sales by 2030, and 90% by 2040. Meanwhile, a more ambitious goal was set for two- and three-wheelers and buses at 50% of new sales by 2030 and 90% by 2040.

“There’s slow progress in that direction. At the present pace, the targets set for 2030 will be missed by a big margin,” said Dr Aazir Anwar Khan, Founder and Director Integrated Engineering Centre of Excellence (IECE), University of Lahore.

However, an official of the Ministry of Climate Change disagreed and said the electrification of automobiles was gradually gathering pace.

“You’ll see electric buses in Karachi and now electric bikes and EVs are not rare sights anymore,” said the official, on condition of anonymity.

What’s happening on the ground?

Electric bikes and cars are now making it to showrooms in Pakistan. One can now see an electric bike, e-tron – a high-end electric car or an electric bus every now and then. It’s not a rarity anymore.

At Karachi’s main two-wheel – motorcycle market Akbar Road, Sabir Sheikh, who owns half a dozen shops, is already seeing behavioral change of buyers.

“Motorcycle buyers have started to inquire about electric bikes, scooty, and scooters options. I believe many have postponed buying a normal two-wheeler with expectations that an electric two-wheel model may soon enter the market that is closer to their need,” said Sheikh, who is also the Chairman, Association of Pakistan Motorcycle Assemblers (APMA).

Sheikh said he also plans to start his own company to manufacture two-wheel EVs, assembler them, and also sell the electric bikes. He has run a motorcycle manufacturing company with the name Sitara in the past.

Sheikh is already selling electric scooters at his shops.

Transitioning to electric bikes

Sources privy to the matter said the ministry of climate change is the secretariat of electric vehicles policy, which can incentivise the sector for faster adoption.

Meanwhile, Aazir Khan has been an advocate for widespread EV adaption and removal of fiscal barriers on its offering to the public through scoping and advocacy studies under the Pakistan EV oversight committee.

[Riaz Haq]

Planned assembly plant in the country would mark carmaker’s first venture into south Asia as it expands globally

https://www.ft.com/content/bf1e6817-5313-4b6e-8e47-9e2960d30ecc

Chinese electric-car maker BYD’s expected expansion into Pakistan has raised hopes in the country that the Warren Buffett-backed company can help jump-start exports in the automotive manufacturing sector. Pakistan’s biggest private electricity producer Hub Power (Hubco) said last month that its subsidiary Mega Motor was entering a partnership with the Tesla rival to set up the country’s first electric vehicle assembly plant by 2026. BYD’s Pakistan plan would mark the company’s first venture into south Asia after being blocked in India by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has restricted Chinese investment. Hubco’s chief executive Kamran Kamal said in an interview with the Financial Times that the ultimate goal was for Pakistan to start exporting vehicles from the plant near Karachi’s Port Qasim. “We have big ambitions to be the leading carmaker in this country by the end of the decade,” said Kamal. “For any industry in Pakistan to be competitive, they should be focused on the export market.” Pakistan’s finance minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said the government was encouraging BYD to export to markets in Africa and south Asia, including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Trade between India and Pakistan has been reduced since 2019 after a security crisis between the two countries. “We want that Pakistan becomes an export hub, period,” Aurangzeb said in a separate interview with the FT. “Korean brands are here, the Japanese brands have been here . . . but the reality is we haven’t been exporting.” BYD said details of its Pakistan plans had yet to be formally announced and declined to comment further. The company’s expansion into south Asia comes as it is also establishing factories in Turkey, Hungary, Thailand and Brazil. BYD has also been scouting locations for a new factory in Mexico. The carmaker is expanding its manufacturing footprint beyond China as countries impose increasing tariffs on Chinese exports, including on EVs, solar panels and wind turbines. Tu Le, founder of consultancy Sino Auto Insights, said the aggressive international expansion plans would help BYD export to fast-growing markets despite tariffs in the US and Europe. But he warned that BYD should not expect the same “unfettered growth” the company has enjoyed in China as it learns to manage factories in different countries. “Chinese companies are used to having a lot of control. What they are going to find is that due to labour laws, different work ethics, different cultures, they’re going to have a lot less control than they normally would,” he said. Recommended The Big Read The ambitions of China’s BYD stretch well beyond electric vehicles Hubco is a joint venture partner for a number of Chinese power projects established under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a $60bn infrastructure network that is part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. The company has no prior experience manufacturing vehicles but it aims to use its extensive power generation network to set up EV charging infrastructure throughout the country of 240mn people, Kamal said. The exact size of the investment and the types of models that will be assembled in the Karachi plant “are being discussed”, he said. Hubco said it expected to sell 100,000 BYD plug-in hybrid and fully electric cars in Pakistan a year by 2030, representing about a quarter of total cars sold in Pakistan, according to the company’s estimates.