Slug: byd-pakistan-imports-hubco-plant
Category: Business News
Focus keyphrase: BYD Pakistan plant imports
SEO title: BYD Pakistan Plant Imports All Parts at Start, Hubco Says
Meta description: BYD Pakistan plant imports will supply initial production as Hubco eyes 80pc localisation; plant starts in 4-5 weeks with 1,000-1,500 cars monthly.
Tags: BYD Pakistan, Hubco, EV plant Pakistan, electric vehicles, auto policy Pakistan, vehicle localisation, Topline Securities, car imports
Original element: Explainer context + own data point from Feature Pakistan’s auto-policy arc — links to FP’s verified posts on the rejected 18% EV sales tax, the proposed 10% car levy, Rs188.58bn levy projections and the $1bn EV fuel-saving estimate.
BYD Pakistan Plant Imports to Run Entire Initial Production, Hubco Tells Analysts
KARACHI: Hub Power Company (Hubco) has said that BYD vehicle production in Pakistan will initially rely entirely on imported raw materials and components. The BYD Pakistan plant imports picture is now official: localisation will rise gradually over time, with the long-term objective of localising up to 80 per cent of the vehicle.
BYD Pakistan plant imports: what the briefing revealed
Hubco’s management laid out the plan during a corporate briefing held on October 20, 2026. The company said the phased localisation should improve cost competitiveness and cut dependence on imports as local parts capacity builds up.
According to Topline Securities, which reported on the briefing, the BYD plant is expected to commence operations within the next four to five weeks, by mid-December. Management is targeting an initial sales run rate of roughly 1,000 to 1,500 BYD vehicles a month as production ramps up.
Timeline: mid-December start, then more models
BYD plans to add models in stages rather than launch its full line-up at once, focusing on the segments that can generate meaningful sales volumes, the brokerage house said. The company aims to begin local production of electric vehicle models by the first quarter of calendar year 2027, with volumes and model offerings rising gradually in later quarters.
A crowded lane: Lucky Cement flags Chinese CBU pressure
Topline also reported that Lucky Cement told analysts on Tuesday that competition in the electric vehicle segment remains intense, particularly from Chinese completely built-up (CBU) vehicles. That pressure is the market BYD’s local plant will walk into: imported models already compete on price, so the 80 per cent localisation target matters as much for cost as for policy.
Why the timing fits the auto-policy arc
The briefing lands in the middle of a busy auto-policy season in Pakistan, which Feature Pakistan has been tracking. The government has rejected the IMF’s proposed 18 per cent sales tax on EVs and approved phased duty cuts — a decision that shapes the tax environment BYD’s plant will operate in. A draft policy also proposes a new 10 per cent levy on big cars, with projections that the car levy could earn the government Rs188.58 billion over five years.
At the same time, Pakistan-IMF talks on the auto policy have stalled over the lender’s objections to draft provisions. On the demand side, the national EV policy projects that electric cars could save Pakistan $1 billion in fuel costs, and established players are already pushing back: Toyota Pakistan has questioned the tax benefits given to rival electric vehicles.
Against this backdrop, BYD’s gradual-localisation plan reads as a middle path: start assembling with imported parts to meet the mid-December deadline, then deepen local content toward 80 per cent to keep costs down and satisfy policymakers pushing for domestic manufacturing.
Will BYD cars be made fully in Pakistan?
Not at first. Hubco said production will initially depend entirely on imported raw materials and components. Local content will increase over time, with the long-term aim of localising up to 80 per cent of each vehicle.
When will the BYD plant start operations in Pakistan?
Topline Securities expects the plant to commence operations within four to five weeks of the October 20 briefing — that is, by mid-December 2026.
How many cars will the plant sell at the start?
Management is targeting an initial sales run rate of about 1,000 to 1,500 BYD vehicles a month as production ramps up, with more models added in phases.
Why are Chinese CBU vehicles relevant to this story?
Lucky Cement told analysts that EV-segment competition is intense, particularly from Chinese completely built-up imports. BYD’s local plant will compete directly with those imports, so its localisation timeline affects pricing and cost competitiveness.
*Source: Dawn*
Related: Govt rejects 18% IMF sales tax on EVs, approves phased duty cuts | Government Proposes New 10% Levy on Big Cars in Draft Auto Policy | Car levy to earn government Rs188.58bn over five years, projections show | Electric cars can save Pakistan $1 billion in fuel costs, NEV policy projects | Toyota Pakistan Questions Tax Benefits Given to Rival Electric Vehicles
