Islamabad, 11th December 2025. The Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) launched Electric Vehicle (EV) Technology, indigenously developed by its technology partner, AGECO (Pvt.) Ltd. Through years of dedicated research and engineering, the EV technology, under the brand name ECONOMIA, includes locally designed Electric Conversion Kits, enabling the retrofitting of conventional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles.

Coordinator to the Prime Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, was the Chief Guest of the ceremony that was held at COMSATS Secretariat. At the distinguished ceremony, EV converted rickshaws were delivered to M/S Imperial Engineering Company, marking the first commercial deployment of the technology under a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This conversion allows existing fuel-consuming and CO₂-emitting engines to be transformed into fully electric, eco-friendly vehicles, an economical and scalable solution for accelerating Pakistan’s transition toward clean transport.

The ceremony was attended by Ambassadors/High Commissioners/Diplomats of Ghana, Iran, Malaysia, Palestine, Syria, Somalia, Yemen and Zimbabwe. Senior officers of relevant Ministries and Departments of the Government of Pakistan, representatives of private sector, as well as leadership of international organizations based in Pakistan also witnessed the ceremony. Media coverage was courtesy of the Press Information Department of Pakistan.

Sharing her thoughts, the Chief Guest stated that Pakistan is among the most climate vulnerable countries, and air pollution across Pakistan’s major cities poses formidable challenge with direct bearing on health & economic activities. She appreciated COMSATS EV initiative that she hoped will positively impact population’s health, environment and economy of the country. She paid tribute to the leadership of COMSATS and AGECO for this remarkable achievement.

Speaking on the occasion, the Executive Director COMSATS, Amb. Dr. M. Nafees Zakaria remarked that EVs provide solution for addressing environmental pollution of countries like Pakistan where 52.8 million metric tons of CO2 is annually added to atmosphere by its transport sector and 70% of it is contributed by 32 million fuel consuming 2 wheelers. He noted that indigenous EVs can help the country reduce the import bill, result in import substitution to relieve pressure on the country’s forex, improve health index and save public health expenses, generate employment, pave way for innovations and contribute towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr. Aslam Azad, CEO AGECO praised the Executive Director’s unwavering backing and resolve to help him achieve this milestone. He thanked Amb. Zakaria and COMSATS for the invaluable support.

The launch of retrofitted EVs is expected to create new economic opportunities, reduce expenditure on vehicle owners, and contribute to cleaner air in densely populated urban centers. COMSATS aims to expand such collaborative ventures with industry partners across its Member States, enabling wider adoption of green technologies in the Global South.