An exhibition of electric vehicles (EVs) kicked off at Bhrikuti Mandap Exhibition Hall in Kathmandu on Friday.

According to SD Expo Media–the organiser, the expo will last till Sunday.

The exhibition has a presence of Indian EV manufacturers, including Nepali dealers of foreign EV brands and homegrown EVs.

Narayan Chhetri, part of the organising team, say there is a big demand for EVs in Nepal and the expo is the right platform for them.

More than 45 companies from India, Nepal and other countries are taking part in the event. Apart from EVs, charging stations, batteries, battery swapping technology and software are also the major focus of the expo, the organiser said.

Tirek Manandhar, a representative of Pack Bike, said they are showcasing electric bicycles and conversion kits. “We have cycles starting from Rs25,000 to Rs250,000.”

These cycles are equipped with pedal assist, which means they can be run on both battery and paddling, the use of battery just makes it move faster with less effort on the pedal, he said.

“This gives the benefit of exercise while being fit for daily commuting. These kinds of cycles generally have a range of 5km. Right now we are importing the electric cycles of Segway and Yadea.”

A Biratnagar-based electric scooter company is showcasing EasyGO and has 18 different models to offer.

According to Manish Bansal, director of the company, products come with a price tag ranging from Rs65,000 to Rs145,000. This is a Singaporean company and its products are assembled in China.

Nepal Electric Vehicles Industries, a pioneer EV company in Nepal, is also participating in the expo.

They are showcasing their flagship product Safa Tempo.

Anil Aryal, a technician of the company said, “ We have a presence of more than 25 years in the EVs sector in Nepal. Around 700 electric tempos are currently running in Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts. Most of our tempo operators are female and we are very proud of the role it has played in women's empowerment.”

He said that the price of a tempo costs Rs2 million with a Lithium-ion battery and the battery alone costs Rs1 million. It gives a range of around 150 km and one can easily charge them in 5 hours in a garage or home if they have 3 phase current.

They have a plan to expand in the 2-wheeler segment too in near future.

Mithila Auto Kraft, a Janakpur-based automobile company, too launched its first EV in the exhibition. They launched their electric tempo, garbage van and loader at the event.

Manjit Shah, director of Mithila Auto Kraft, said the tempos they produce with a lead acid battery cost Rs 950,000 while the one with a lithium-ion battery costs up to Rs1.3 million. “Our vehicles offer a range of 100 km on average. We are still in the demo phase but we are very optimistic about our future.”

Statiq, an Indian startup that claims to have the largest network of EV chargers in India, is eager to enter the Nepali market. “We are India’s largest EVs charging network. We have recently secured funding from Shell Ventures, one of the largest energy companies in the world.”

“We are present in more than 60 cities of India with a network of over 7,000 charging stations. We are looking for a partner willing to join hands in the Nepali market,” said Mayank Mohapatra, head of Partnership and Alliance at Statiq.

He said it costs about Rs1.6 million to install a DC fast charger that can charge all kinds of EVs. “We also sell AC chargers and that range from Rs160,000 to Rs800,000, depending on the capacity.”

The stalls related to the conversion kit to make petrol bikes to hybrid also had a significant presence at the expo.

One of them is Do Real Motors Pvt Ltd.

This is an Indian startup that is currently assembling the conversion kits and planning to manufacture itself by June 2023.

Ankit Khatri, the director of the company said that the products cost about Rs80,000 to Rs90,000. “You can make the Splendor bike a hybrid. It comes with a 4-year warranty and has a range of around 90 km.”

The exhibition is mainly dominated by the electric two-wheeler segment.

Several foreign brands like Segway, Liyuan, RAFT, Bravo, Cappuccinos, OPAI, Horwin, Ecobit, and so on showcased their products. There is also the presence of commercial electric vehicles like rickshaws, loaders and buses.

Henry, an Indonesian car manufacturer, made its appearance in the exhibition with the slogan Rs1=1km.

Bijay Koirala, a representative at the stall said, “It takes only 15 units of electricity to fully charge our car and it offers a range of 150 km. So it costs just Rs1 to drive this car for 1 km.”

“We provide a 5 year warranty on the battery and 3 years on the motor. The dual colour variant costs Rs23,75,000 and the single colour variant costs Rs23,50,000.”

Ecobit even has an electric bike for kids that gives a maximum range of 80 km at the speed of 20 km/h and that costs Rs176,000. They offer a test ride service for customers as well.