The Nepal Weekly 
September 9, 2025
The day brings together governments, auto manufacturers, organisations, and individuals to shine a light on the potential of EVs, and demonstrate their role in creating a more sustainable future.
Beyond showcasing the importance of electric cars, World EV Day is an opportunity to break down barriers for drivers who may not understand the benefits of owning and driving an EV. Whilst the number of EVs registered on the roads is rising quickly, there is still a large segment of car owners who need a little nudge before taking the plunge into the world of all-electric cars.
First celebrated in 2020, world EV Day falls on September 9th and serves as an annual global event to raise awareness of owning electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles are at the very forefront of the global shift towards sustainable transportation, and due to advancing technology, falling battery costs, and growing eco-consciousness, the shift is moving quickly. World EV Day goes hand-in-hand with this fast growth, making September 9th a great opportunity to spread the EV word and encourage drivers to make the electric switch.
There’s also the plain reality of electric vehicles; they are fast becoming, and beyond 2030, will be the most popular form of vehicle on our roads, World EV Day harnesses this reality.
World EV Day : yet an unnoticed occasion!
Observing of World EV Day appears as yet to be enlisted in the UN agencies so far. Consequently, it sounds that World EV Day is a new product for Nepal, and most probably in other countries also.
As per the aims of the Day, the value of electric mobility should be well circulated and covered by media in Nepal and elsewhere.
Nepal still needs to spread awareness and knowledge sharing activities among leaders and laymen. They need to be agreed on need of reducing air pollution which kills more than 48,500 people per year so as consumption of fossil fuel should be drastically reduced soon, consumption of electricity to power electric vehicles is well utilising of clean electricity generated in Nepal by hydropower plants and other renewable energy technologies. That means cost of import of fossil fuel will be de reduced significantly.
The importers and agents of electric vehicles made in China, South Korea, Japan and India are bringing in varieties of SUVs, hatchbacks and small cars affordable to different class of users. However, more attention is needed for expanding electric vehicles for public transportation. The growing number of a few thousand micro buses in the Kathmandu Valley and some other businessable routes are not enough to catch the actual ambition. The government’s plan to add a few hundred electric buses will not meet the need as well.
So far the electric vehicles imported are mainly focused to private and institutional uses while electric vehicles for public transportation have not yet been a focus agenda at governmental and private sectors.
The buses, minibuses and microbuses run by energy stored in the batteries are costly even in the international market. The tax policy and financial policy are not supportive to transport entrepreneurs in Nepal. The entrepreneurs may compromise for small ratio of profit by operating EVs for public transportation. That can be possible if the government waive taxes on import of such vehicles and credit facilities including subsidised interest rate on bank loans.
EVs for public transportation is more important part for Nepal which carries the country’s commitments expressed in the global forums and charters – Net Zero Emission, Nationally Determined Contributions, Sustainable Development Goals, Energy White Paper of Nepal Government, 15th Five Year, National Energy Policy, Plan, NDC 3, and others. As such, this aspect should be the guideline for Nepal Government to act appropriately and create conducive environment for private sector to be engaged with electric buses and other means which run with electrical power.
Therefore, an argument should be taken valid to advocate financial support for electric vehicles for public transportation from global funds created by UNFCCC, COP resolutions and other possible bilateral and multilateral funding mechanism.
Moreover, the Sixth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is mention worthy as it has shown evidence based facts and figures of contributors of global climate change effects which could lead devastating results in future. It also has recommended measures and instruments. Electric mobility to replace use of fossil fuel is one of its recommendations. The report stresses the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The analysis from Working Group III, “Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change”, was released on April 4th. This section of the report examines the various strategies that might help restore climate equilibrium, and electric vehicles are now seen as our best hope for decarbonizing the transportation sector. The optimistic assessment from the world’s leading climate experts contradicts the persistent arguments of EV detractors who refuse to accept the extraordinary environmental benefits of EVs. In the present context, EVs have been winning race against fossil fuel vehicles in Nepal. The latter recorded a share of 76% of all new passenger vehicles, and almost half of all commercial vehicles purchased were electric in Nepal. It is noted that EV market was basically nonexistent five years ago in Nepal, according to The New York Times.
