All You Need to Know About Pakistan’s First Local Electric Car

Electric cars are the future, however, their high cost and unavailability in Pakistan haw prevented them from becoming mainstream. This is now about to change with the introduction of Nur-E 75, Pakistan's first electric car.

Developed by the DICE Foundation, an American NGO run by Pakistanis, the electric hatchback is aimed at a market dominated by economy cars like the Suzuki Alto. The Noor EK prototype was officially unveiled on August 14 at the Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi around 4 pm.

Nur-E will be sold under the company name Jaxari, named after the Muslim scientist Ismail al-Jazari.

Design

Here is the electric car.

Photo Credit: Pak Wheels

Design-wise it takes cues from the Honda E and N-One, with the front end strikingly similar to the two hatchbacks, giving it a modern yet retro-inspired look with rounded headlights and a blocky face. Comes. However, unlike the front, the rear looks plain and uninteresting, the prototype looked like it wasn't assembled properly as some elements looked misaligned.

Moving on to the interior, the dashboard looks clean but looks like it was taken from a 2007-era car. The white AC vents don't seem adjustable and the black plastic on the door sides and the dashboard look low quality. That said, it's a prototype after all, so if DICE tweaks the interior a bit and fixes the rear, the Nur-E 75 looks like a promising new electric car for Pakistan.

Strength and Limitation

As for the powertrain, the hatchback will be powered by a 107HP/200Nm single electric motor, with a top speed of 127 kmph. It will have a 35 KWhr battery which the company claims will be good for a range of 200KM with AC on. Remember that the range may vary depending on your driving speed and whether you use AC or not.

It will take around 7-8 hours to charge with a regular charger, and about 2 hours with a faster DC charger.

Price and availability.

According to Dr. Khursheed Qureshi, founder and chairman of DICE Foundation, the Nur-E 75 competes with the Nissan Leaf and Honda E, priced at $35,000-$45,000 internationally, but will be priced lower in Pakistan.

When asked about the price estimate, another official said that it will not be available for less than Rs. 2 million going by these comments, it could be worth around Rs. 3-4 million, though you should take it with a grain of salt as prices are yet to be confirmed.

Dr. Khurshid added that commercial production will begin around Q4 2024, with around 60% of the parts being manufactured locally. According to the chairman of the foundation, the localization of its parts will increase to 80 percent in the coming years.

We will keep you updated with any new developments on electric cars and especially the Nur-E.