Pakistan’s Electric Bike Boom: Airlink Launches AirV as Local Output Triples

Pakistan’s electric bike market has had its busiest week yet. On Wednesday 4 November, Air Link Communication — one of Pakistan’s biggest technology manufacturers — launched its own electric bike brand, AirV, with 11 models. A day later, a cement company announced plans to import affordable Chinese electric cars. And the numbers behind the boom are striking: Pakistan built more than 210,000 electric two- and three-wheelers in the last financial year, up from fewer than 60,000 the year before.

For ordinary buyers, the message is simple. Electric bikes are no longer a small experiment: big, listed companies are putting real money into them, the government is offering subsidies and interest-free loans, and more models are reaching showrooms. But prices are still missing from the biggest launch of the week, and charging remains a real problem.

At a glance

• What happened: Airlink launched AirV, its electric bike brand, in Lahore on 4 November 2026, with 11 models across six series and claimed ranges of up to 200 kilometres.
• Also this week: Thatta Cement’s board approved a new subsidiary to import compact, affordable electric cars from China.
• The big picture: Pakistan produced 210,268 electric two- and three-wheelers in FY2025-26, up from 59,756 the year before, according to Engineering Development Board figures given to a Senate committee on 3 November.
• The catch: Only one public charging station in the country has been confirmed as working, and Airlink has not yet announced prices for the AirV bikes.
• Why it matters: High fuel costs and government subsidies are pushing more Pakistanis towards electric two-wheelers, and the market is growing faster than the charging network that supports it.

Airlink launches AirV: 11 models, up to 200 km range

Air Link Communication Limited, known as Airlink and listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, officially entered Pakistan’s electric vehicle market on 4 November with the launch of its AirV brand at an event in Lahore.

The launch brings 11 electric bike models divided into six series, aimed at different kinds of riders — from daily commuters to buyers who want more features. The bikes use lithium batteries, and the company says some models can travel up to 200 kilometres on a single charge, depending on the model. That figure is a maximum claim for the best-performing models, not a promise for every bike in the range. Real-world range depends on rider weight, speed, road conditions, traffic and temperature, so buyers should wait for model-by-model figures before judging.

The bikes come with features that are still uncommon in Pakistan’s two-wheeler market: cruise control, regenerative braking technology — which recovers some energy when the bike slows down — near-field communication (NFC) for unlocking and pairing, and anti-theft systems.

Airlink is making the bikes at its facility in the Sundar Green Special Economic Zone in Lahore. The company first announced the project in July 2026, when its board approved an electric bike manufacturing project under its own brand. According to the company’s notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, commercial deliveries are expected to begin within about a week of the launch.

What Airlink has not said yet

For all the detail about models and features, the most important information for buyers is still missing: prices. Airlink has not publicly disclosed retail prices for any of the 11 AirV models. It has also not published full specifications for each model, including battery size, motor power, charging time, top speed, warranty terms or the cost of a replacement battery.

The company has said it aims to reach about 95 percent local content — parts made in Pakistan rather than imported — within two to three years, and it plans to offer buy-now-pay-later financing through its Airfin arm. But until prices appear, it is impossible to say whether AirV bikes will be affordable for the average commuter or aimed at the premium end of the market.

For now, this is a real launch with a real factory and a real delivery date — but buyers cannot yet compare the bikes on price, the first thing most people ask about.

A cement company joins the EV race

Airlink was not the only listed company to move into electric vehicles this week. Thatta Cement Company Limited, a cement manufacturer listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, announced on 5 November that its board had approved an investment in a new, wholly owned subsidiary to enter the electric vehicle business.

The subsidiary will start by importing completely built-up electric cars from China, aimed at the affordable, compact end of the market. The company has said it may move into local assembly later, along with the supply chain that goes with it.

The board approved the plan on 4 November and disclosed it to the stock exchange on 5 November, alongside annual results showing consolidated profit after tax down 2.9 percent to Rs2.28 billion for the year ending 30 June 2026 (from Rs2.34 billion the year before).

For now, the Thatta Cement plan is exactly that: a plan. The company has not disclosed how much it will invest, which Chinese manufacturers will supply the cars, what the cars will look like, how much they will cost, or when sales will start. Until a brand and a price appear, no one can book one. But the fact that a cement company sees electric cars as a better use of its money than its core business says something about where Pakistan’s business community thinks the market is heading.

The numbers behind the boom

The two company announcements sit on top of a much bigger trend. Figures presented to the Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production on 3 November show just how fast Pakistan’s electric two- and three-wheeler industry has grown.

According to data from the Engineering Development Board (EDB), Pakistan produced 210,268 electric two- and three-wheelers in the financial year 2025-26. That is up from 59,756 the year before — more than three times as many in a single year. Go back four years, and the contrast is even sharper: in FY2021-22, Pakistan produced just 7,345 electric two- and three-wheelers.

The industry is also wider than a handful of factories. More than 85 companies now hold licences to assemble electric vehicles in Pakistan, and the EDB put total local production capacity above 290,000 units a year. In other words, the factories already exist to build far more electric bikes than Pakistan is currently producing — the question is whether demand keeps up.

The growth is not limited to bikes. In October, Bestway Group unveiled three Geely electric models in Pakistan — the EX2 hatchback, the EX5 SUV and the Starray EM-i — although, like Airlink, it has not yet announced prices.

Why buyers are switching

Three forces are driving the switch to electric two-wheelers in Pakistan.

Fuel costs. Petrol is expensive. For a delivery rider or a commuter covering 40 or 50 kilometres a day, the difference between paying for petrol and paying for electricity is real money every week. An electric bike costs more to buy, but far less to run — and the maths gets better the more you ride.

Government support. The government’s PAVE programme — the Pakistan Accelerated Vehicle Electrification Programme — is designed to make electric bikes affordable. It covers 116,000 electric bikes and 3,170 electric rickshaws and loaders across the country. Buyers can get a subsidy of Rs50,000 per bike with an interest-free bank loan of up to Rs250,000, or a refund of Rs80,000 if they pay the full price themselves. The programme is run by the Ministry of Industries and Production, and applications are made through the official portal at pave.gov.pk.

The response has been strong. By 28 October, the Finance Division reported that more than 21,900 applications had been approved under PAVE and more than 3,200 electric vehicles had been delivered. The programme is part of a bigger national target: 30 percent of all motorcycles, three-wheelers, cars and buses in Pakistan should be electric by 2030, backed by Rs100 billion in support over five years.

More choice. A year ago, buyers had few electric bikes to choose from, mostly from small assemblers. Now listed companies with national dealer networks are entering the market. That matters, because the biggest worry for buyers is not the bike itself — it is what happens when something goes wrong. A company with a service network is a safer bet than one without.

The charging problem

But the boom has a weak spot, and the same Senate committee hearing that revealed the production figures also exposed it: charging.

Senator Anusha Rehman told the committee that only one public charging station in Pakistan — at Bhera on the Islamabad–Lahore Motorway (M-2) — had been confirmed as operational. That is the entire public charging network, as far as the committee could verify.

The government does have plans. Officials told the committee the target is at least 3,000 charging stations, with a negotiated charging tariff of Rs40 per unit, about 18 installations under way and 40 sites identified along the Peshawar–Karachi motorway. But a target is not a network, and the gap between 1 working station and 3,000 is enormous.

There is also a tax problem. A manufacturer told the committee that locally assembled chargers face duties and taxes of up to 52 percent, because of how they are classified. Senator Rehman said she had asked the Federal Board of Revenue to reclassify them at 1 percent. That is a request, not a decision, and it has not been granted yet.

For most buyers, this matters less than it sounds: most electric bike owners charge at home overnight from an ordinary socket. Public charging matters mainly for long trips and for riders without a safe place to plug in at home. Until the network grows, electric bikes remain a city and short-distance choice.

Policy uncertainty

There is another problem hanging over the industry: the old policy has expired and the new one is not finished. The Auto Industry Development and Export Policy, which covered 2021 to 2026, expired on 30 June 2026, and its replacement is still awaiting final approval. Committee chairman Saleem Mandviwala said incentives should depend on companies having their plants running by set deadlines. Until the new policy arrives, the industry is growing on the strength of demand and subsidies rather than on settled rules.

What to check before buying an electric bike

If you are thinking about buying an electric bike, the week’s news is encouraging — but it is also a reminder to check the details before paying. Here is a short checklist:

1. The real price, on the road. Ask for the total price including registration, and compare it with the PAVE subsidy you can claim. A bike that looks cheap before the subsidy may not be cheap after it, and vice versa.

2. Range for the model you are buying, not the best model in the range. “Up to 200 km” is a maximum for one model. Ask what the specific bike you are buying will do, and remember that real range is usually lower than the claimed figure.

3. Battery warranty and replacement cost. The battery is the most expensive part of an electric bike. Ask how long the warranty lasts, what it covers, and what a replacement battery costs. A cheap bike with an expensive replacement battery is not cheap.

4. Charging time and where you will charge. Ask how long a full charge takes from a normal home socket, and make sure you have a safe, dry place to charge overnight.

5. Service and spare parts. Ask where the nearest authorised service centre is, and whether spare parts — especially batteries, controllers and motors — are available in Pakistan. A brand with a local factory and a dealer network is a safer choice than one that imports everything.

6. Whether the bike is covered by PAVE. Check on pave.gov.pk whether the model you want is eligible for the subsidy and interest-free loan, and apply through the official portal only.

What happens next

The next few weeks will answer the biggest open question from this week’s news: what will the AirV bikes cost? Prices should appear before or alongside the first deliveries, and they will show whether AirV is aimed at ordinary commuters or at buyers who can already afford a premium bike.

Watch, too, for the new EV policy, for the FBR’s decision on charger duties, and for the first charging stations beyond Bhera. And watch for Thatta Cement to name its Chinese partner and its first car — that is when its plan stops being a plan.

Pakistan’s electric bike boom is real. Production has more than tripled in a year, more than 85 companies hold licences, and big companies are now entering the market. The subsidies are real, and the running costs beat petrol. But the market is still young: prices are missing, charging is thin, and the policy is unfinished. For buyers, the opportunity is real — and so is the need to check before you buy.

Frequently asked questions

How many electric bikes did Pakistan produce last year?

Pakistan produced 210,268 electric two- and three-wheelers in FY2025-26, according to Engineering Development Board figures given to the Senate committee on 3 November 2026. That is up from 59,756 in FY2024-25 and 7,345 in FY2021-22.

What is AirV, and when can I buy one?

AirV is Airlink’s new electric bike brand, launched in Lahore on 4 November 2026 with 11 models across six series. The company says deliveries will begin within about a week of the launch. Prices and full specifications for each model have not been announced yet.

How far can an AirV bike go on one charge?

Airlink says some models offer ranges of up to 200 kilometres, depending on the model. That is a maximum claim for the best-performing models, not a figure for every bike in the range. Model-by-model figures have not been published yet.

What subsidy can I get on an electric bike in Pakistan?

Under the government’s PAVE programme, buyers can get a subsidy of Rs50,000 per bike with an interest-free bank loan of up to Rs250,000, or a refund of Rs80,000 if they pay the full price themselves. Apply only through the official portal at pave.gov.pk.

How many public charging stations does Pakistan have?

Only one public charging station — at Bhera on the M-2 motorway — had been confirmed as operational when the Senate committee met on 3 November 2026. The government has set a target of at least 3,000 charging stations, with about 18 installations under way.

Is Thatta Cement selling electric cars yet?

No. Thatta Cement’s board has approved a new subsidiary to import compact, affordable electric cars from China, but no brand, model, price or launch date has been announced. The plan was disclosed to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on 5 November 2026.

Sources

• https://thescoop.com.pk/air-link-enters-pakistans-ev-market-with-11-airv-electric-bike-models/
• https://thestandard.com.pk/air-link-launches-new-electric-bike/
• https://mettisglobal.news/Airlink-enters-EV-market-with-11model-AirV-electric-bike-lineup-64786
• https://bloompakistan.com/airv-electric-bikes-launch-pakistan-200km-range/
• https://techx.pk/pakistan-electric-bike-policy-delay-290000-local-production/
• https://getevdost.com/blog/ev-news-pakistan-november-2026
• https://thescoop.com.pk/thatta-cement-pivots-to-electric-mobility-with-mass-market-chinese-ev-import-plan-amidst-mixed-fy2026-earnings/
• https://pakera.pk/pave-electric-bike-scheme-apply/

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.