Electric minibus driver Purushottam Adhikari charges his Chinese-made e-van at a charging station in Kathmandu – Copyright AFP Prakash MATHEMA
Anup Ojha
As global fuel markets reel from the war in the Middle East, drivers in Nepal are increasingly turning to electric vehicles, with high demand putting a strain on retailers.
Electric minibus driver Purushottam Adhikari said he was now carrying more passengers along the 300-kilometer (186-mile) journey between his town in Chitwan district and the capital Kathmandu.
“My profession has not been affected (by the conflict),” said the 48-year-old, who drives his Chinese-made 18-seater e-van along Nepal’s highways every day. “In fact, more people are choosing EVs.”
Rising global oil prices and disruptions to fuel supplies since Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz have led to long queues at petrol stations in countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, but Nepal has largely avoided the worst of the crisis.
“One of the main reasons is the increased penetration of electric vehicles on Nepal’s roads,” alternative energy expert Govind Raj Pokharel told AFP.
The country of 30 million people has about 50,000 electric vehicles, still a small fraction of the 6.2 million motor vehicles, but a figure officials expect will continue to grow.
The price of gasoline in Nepal, which imports all of its gasoline, has nearly doubled since the war began in late February with the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
While transport charges have increased, Adhikari told AFP that his prices remain unchanged at 700 rupees ($4.60) for a one-way trip on his Joylong A6, which in turn costs $8 for a full recharge.
A full tank for a similar diesel vehicle would cost “more than $66,” he said.
– ‘Comfortable and cheap’ –
An expanding network of charging stations along major highways has made long-distance electric travel increasingly viable.
Riding in Adhikar’s van, 20-year-old Susmita Bishowkarma said she prefers to travel by electric vehicles because they are “environmentally friendly… comfortable and relatively cheap”.
Fueled by an increase in hydropower generation and a greener power grid than neighboring India and Bangladesh, Nepal has emerged as one of the world’s fastest adopters of electric vehicles.
The Himalayan nation imported more than 13,500 EVs between mid-2024 and mid-2025 – double the number of petrol vehicles and a sharp increase from just seven a decade ago, government data show.
Taxis and smoke-free cars made in China are a common sight in Kathmandu, with traffic officials estimating that up to 60 percent of minibuses entering the city from major roads are now electric.
Customs department spokesperson Kishor Bartaula said the number of electric vehicles will further increase with hundreds awaiting customs clearance at Nepal’s ports.
In line with its clean energy policy, the government is looking to replace around 10,000 vehicles damaged during anti-corruption protests last year with electric vehicles, finance ministry spokesman Amrit Lamsal told AFP.
– Increase in demand –
Concerns that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could prolong global fuel insecurity are also influencing consumer behavior.
Shraban Bhattari, 49, who recently bought a BYD Atto-2, said the Chinese-made car is saving him daily fuel expenses.
“I don’t need to go to the gas station anymore,” he said.
In April, the government approved a legal framework to allow people to convert their petrol and diesel vehicles to electric ones, known as “retrofitting”.
But EV dealers told AFP they were struggling to meet demand.
“It is becoming challenging to meet the demand,” said Ritima Pandey, customer relations officer at Venture Motors.
“As the price of oil has gone up, a lot of people are coming to trade fuel vehicles for EV vans.”
Schools and colleges are also exploring electric fleet purchases, said dealer Dinesh Raj Pandeya, signaling a shift beyond individual commuters.
Energy expert Pokharel urged policymakers to build momentum by encouraging domestic production and assembly of EVs.
“This will give us a long-term solution,” he said.
