Kathmandu. The major attractions of the 18th NADA Auto Show will be G1 humanoid robot and GO2 quadruped robot. But the real story of the exhibition goes beyond robots — Nepal’s fast-moving electric vehicle transition.

So far, around 63,000 electric vehicles have arrived in Nepal. A network of about two thousand charging stations has been developed with the joint effort of private importers and Nepal Electricity Authority. More than 80 percent of the total electric vehicles imported to Nepal are imported from China while the rest are imported mainly from India.

With the expansion of electric vehicles, the need for charging infrastructure has also accelerated. However, the pace of vehicle imports has gone beyond the expansion of infrastructure. Even the NADA leadership has been publicly acknowledging that electric vehicles have come to Nepal faster than charging infrastructure.

NADA Auto Show is presenting the vehicle as well as the infrastructure required for its operation on a single platform. The exhibition will showcase electric and hybrid vehicles from BYD, Leapmotor, Geely, MG and Wuling. There will also be Revolt two-wheeler and electric motorcycles designed and assembled in Nepal.

On the infrastructure front, GI Charger, Exim, ZevePoint and AirCharge will showcase AC and DC charging systems. This will provide an opportunity to debate the status and need for charging infrastructure with the increasing number of electric vehicles.

According to NADA President Surendra Kumar Uprety, electric vehicles have arrived in Nepal faster than the charging infrastructure. According to him, the exhibition can bring vehicles, chargers and financial service providers together and create an environment for practical and honest discussion on this issue.

Along with this, the changes in the tax system of electric vehicles will also be a topic of discussion this time. The import tax on electric vehicles in Nepal has shifted from a system based on the kilowatt capacity of the motor to a value-based ‘Clean Infrastructure Investment Levy’. Since this change will have a direct impact on the Nepali electric vehicle market, its impact is also expected to be debated in the exhibition.

That’s why robot dogs and humanoid robots can draw crowds at the NADA Auto Show. But beyond those attractions, Nepal’s national transition to electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, and changing tax policies will be the main story.