The Bangladeshi government is preparing an auto industry policy which will call for at least 15% of registered vehicles to be powered by “environment-friendly electricity” in 2030.
“The policy is providing special importance on [the] assembl[y] and manufacture of environment-friendly electricity run vehicles,” stated the Ministry of Industries in a draft Automobile Industry Development Policy-2020 which focuses on electric vehicles (EVs).
Policymakers yesterday outlined measures which could attract companies to set up auto manufacturing sites in the nation, including donations of free land.
“Several foreign companies, including Toyota have expressed [an] interest to set up automobile factor[ies] in Bangladesh,” said prime ministerial aide Salman F Rahman. “I asked them to manufacture electricity-run vehicles and assured them of providing any facilities they want.”
The nation hosts just one vehicle assembly line at present although Bangladesh Auto Industries Ltd last year started work on an EV production site in Chittagong with an initial $200 million investment.
Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of Bangladeshi thinktank the Policy Research Institute said the nation has the potential to establish solar-powered car as well as EV manufacturing sites.
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Ministry of Industries joint secretary Anwarul Alam told pv magazine: “Our plan is meeting local demand [for] electric vehicles by setting up factories, and also to export.”
A prototype, made-in-Bangladesh EV completed a 2,000km trip across the nation in July last year and the country's roads host numerous unregistered electric three-wheelers, imported from India and China.
The country has just 14 EV charging points, powered by solar, with a total capacity of 278 kW.
This copy was amended on 07/12/20 to indicate Anwarul Alam, quoted above, was speaking to Syful Islam in his capacity as a reporter for pv magazine, not JOC.com, as previously indicated.
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