Training for Public Sector Professionals in E-Mobility

The USAID-funded Pakistan Private Sector Energy (PPSE) Project held a 2-day training for relevant public sector institutions in the electric vehicle ecosystem on January 12-13, 2023. The capacity-building workshop was organized in partnership with the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and covered issues such as policy and technical aspects of the EV industry, EV adoption trends across the world and lessons for Pakistan; business and financial models in the EV value chain; EV policy framework in Pakistan and across the globe.

The training was jointly inaugurated by Stephen Berlinguette, USAID Deputy Director, Office of Climate and Sustainable Development and Almas Haider, Chairman of the Engineering Development Board.

Pakistan is especially vulnerable to Climate change that poses huge risks to Pakistani families, businesses, and the economy. Pakistan has set an ambitious goals for electric vehicles and renewables sector but these goals are absolutely the right priorities for Pakistan. This transition and these goals, don’t happen without the private sector. USAID has many tools available to support these sectors and we want to continue working with you all on this.

–  Stephen Berlinguette, USAID Deputy Director, Office of Climate and Sustainable Development

We need to develop our own technologies to progress. Make sure you have an R&D department in your company so you are innovating, not just adopting tech from other countries since our needs are different.

– Almas Hyder, Chairman, Engineering Development Board

Participants included relevant public sector organizations currently working on EV regulations and building EV infrastructure in the country. The Engineering Development Board (EDB), Punjab Excise Department, Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (NEECA), Punjab Board of Investment & Trade (PBIT), Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), Punjab Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPPA), Sindh Mass Transit Authority and Punjab Transport Company, were some of the public institutions that took part in the training.

Every new technology’s impact is overestimated in the short term and underestimated in the long term. The same is the case with electric vehicles currently.

– Dr. Naveed Arshad, Co-Director, LUMS Energy Institute

The training was also attended by private sector players in the e-mobility sector and provided an opportunity in developing linkages between the public sector and project developers. Companies such as Mode Mobility, Charged Vehicles, XLA Mobility, ezBike, Atlas Battery, Albario Engineering, Elixis Bikes and Jolta Battery attended the training. In total, eighty-two professionals from across the public and private sector completed the capacity building sessions and gave favorable feedback to the PPSE and LUMS teams.

Very good, informative and thought-provoking sessions. I also enjoyed learning more about how neighboring countries have already introduced EVs and the impact on the economy and environment.

– Qaswa Hamail, Senior Inspector, Punjab Environmental Protection Agency

PPSE is a Pakistan-specific project of the Private Financing Advisory Network that is funded by USAID, and jointly implemented by REEEP and UNIDO. Currently PPSE is supporting 13 E-mobility projects to achieve financial closure.