Cimex Inc, the authorized dealer of BYD vehicles for Nepal, has launched the Cimex BYD Charity Foundation.
The company said it has contributed Rs 10 million to the Foundation and will deposit Rs 10,000 in it from the sale of each electric vehicle.
Speaking during the launch of the Foundation, Liu Xueliang, general manager of BYD Asia Pacific Auto Sales Division, said that BYD has enjoyed remarkable success in Nepal.
Setopati talked to Liu about various issues including the electric vehicle market in Nepal, the efficiency and durability of such vehicles, and BYD’s future plans.
Here is an edited version of the interview.
As the world increasingly embraces electric vehicles (EVs), what is your perspective on the electric vehicle market in Nepal?
Nepal is a country that has seen a very widespread adoption of electric vehicles, thanks also to the government’s favorable policies to support electric vehicles. Also, Nepal is a country rich in electricity but it has shortage of fossil fuel energy. Adoption of EVs will help Nepal to restructure its energy dependence.
We can observe that today in Nepal environment protection is something we need to work on. We believe that with more and more adoption of EVs, the emissions will decrease a lot.
We are also happy to observe that EV penetration in Nepal has increased by 67 percent over the first eight months of this calendar year. And we hope that through the joint efforts of BYD and our local partner Cimex, we can further speed up the adoption of EVs in Nepal.
What are the reasons behind the popularity of BYD vehicles in Nepal?
We introduced our BYD electric vehicle in Nepal in 2018. In the past 5-6 years, we have been doing marketing through different means to tell the Nepali customers about the future and benefits of EVs. We have been telling the Nepali customers about EVs and their benefits, be it from the point of view of technology or energy or electricity. This is the basis of our business in Nepal.
We have been working closely with our local partner Cimex in Nepal. We bring our EVs to approach our potential customers in Nepal and let them experience our technology and products.
It’s also very important that before we introduce a new model, we do a lot of research. So that is a key reason why we have so many successful models and why BYD is so popular in Nepal.
We are also very thankful to our friends in media because they have also been telling the people about the benefits of EVs.
Is BYD suitable for hilly roads like those in Nepal? If yes, how?
This is a very good question. It is also the reason why we brought E6 as our first product to Nepal. We brought E6 as a taxi to Nepal to test its suitability in Nepali road conditions. We tested its charging and road adaptability, and finally found that our product was good enough to suit Nepali road conditions.
There are still many questions regarding the performance of electric vehicles. How do you address these concerns?
To allay the concerns of customers we always invite them to have a physical experience, to test drive our vehicle. And I believe that when they have done the test drive, they will trust the EV, they will trust BYD.
How can one find a proper electric vehicle for themselves? What are the things to consider?
Firstly, EVs are more cost effective because the cost of electricity is much lower than the cost of petrol.
BYD currently has not only one, but four models in Nepal. So, we are trying to fulfill the different demands of different Nepali families and consumers through the introduction of different models.
There are misconceptions about the batteries of electric vehicles. How are you addressing it?
Actually, before BYD entered the automobile industry, it was started with battery products. Not only the battery, the motor, the motor controller, all the key components are designed and manufactured in-house at BYD. So, we believe the overall performance and reliability of BYD vehicles is the best in the world.
BYD is also the first global automobile brand to produce eight million units of new energy vehicles. The number eight million is the best proof that BYD's battery is reliable.
Is BYD introducing any new technology to make its vehicles more user-friendly and convenient?
BYD fully understands that technologies keep evolving. So BYD has been spending a huge amount on research and development. We keep working on new products and better technologies to provide to the customers.
Does BYD plan to introduce large buses and trucks for public transportation in Nepal in the future?
We are very willing to provide our products and solutions to Nepal as long as there is demand from Nepal. We hope we can provide more types of electric vehicles to Nepal to let Nepal become fully electrified in mobility.
