Starting from 22nd September and ending on 25th September, Nepal’s first all-electric NADA Auto Show has garnered attention all-round. With cooperation from Nepal Electricity Authority, the expo showcased 35 different brands of Electric Vehicles (EVs), including 16 brands for two-wheelers like electric bicycles, motorbikes and scooters.

Many brands from India and China took up the scene with a wide range of prices for two-wheelers – depending on factors such as top speed, charging time, motor capacity, type of battery and range. Many electric motorbike designs now allude to recognizable and familiar designs of bikes that make them almost indistinguishable from their fuel counterparts from a distance.

Taking the spotlight were also Mahindra’s Treo and Treo Zor which were the only three-wheelers being showcased in the expo. The brand displayed two different variations of the vehicle: Treo Zor for cargo, and Treo which serves as an electric rickshaw – as a means of public transport.

With the country and especially the Valley’s increasing necessity for better public transport, now may be a good time for electric vehicles to take up the public transport scene.

The Thee-Go JAC – Nepal’s first electric pickup truck – made its massive presence known with a stunning display of the vehicle in an uphill position. At the entrance were some of the most prominent electric cars in the EV scene: the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, as well as Hyundai with its Kona and Ioniq 5. The Chinese brand BYD showcased its E6 model which was launched last year in Nepal.

Four different banks and financial institutions exhibited their special loan offers for aspiring EV enthusiasts. Most institutions offered financing up to 80% for electric vehicles. Present in the auto show were also brands for batteries – such as OZZON – and also businesses that provided spare parts for vehicle owners.

With the commencement and successful organization of the country’s first all-electric auto show, the larger question of the possibility of converting existing fuel vehicles into electric vehicles is on many people’s minds. The event has sparked conversation and thorough interest in the topic and this is to, hopefully, bring in better and eco-friendlier options for transportation.