Pakistan’s automotive market has spent the last few years cautiously circling the idea of electrification — hampered by patchy charging infrastructure, high import costs, and a car-buying public that has, for good reason, been wary of range anxiety. Into that hesitant market stepped Deepal, the electric-vehicle brand under Chinese automaker Changan, with a strategy that sidestepped the industry’s biggest hesitation entirely: Range-Extended Electric Vehicles, or REEVs.

The result has been one of the more consequential shifts in Pakistan’s new-energy vehicle (NEV) landscape in recent memory.

What Makes a REEV Different

A REEV isn’t a hybrid in the traditional sense, and that distinction is central to why Deepal’s approach has resonated. In a conventional hybrid or plug-in hybrid, the combustion engine can directly drive the wheels. In Deepal’s REEV models, the small onboard engine never touches the wheels at all — it exists purely as a generator, topping up the battery so the electric motor can keep driving the car. The result, in practice, is a vehicle that drives like a full EV nearly all the time, but never leaves the driver stranded without a charging station in sight.

For a market like Pakistan, where public charging infrastructure is still being built out, this is more than a technical footnote — it’s the feature that made electrification commercially viable in the first place. Deepal has marketed this as “Range Confidence,” explicitly framing it as an answer to the anxiety that has held back EV adoption in the country.

The S05: A Genuine Industry First

The flagship of Deepal’s Pakistan push has been the S05, a compact C-segment SUV and the first REEV to be locally assembled in the country. Introduced at the Pakistan Auto Show in late 2025 and entering full delivery in early 2026, the S05 is built at Master Changan Motors’ facility in Karachi on Changan’s dedicated EPA1 electric platform — not a combustion platform retrofitted for electrification, but a vehicle designed around an electric drivetrain from the ground up.

The numbers behind it are significant for the segment: a combined range exceeding 1,000 kilometers, with up to 170 kilometers achievable on pure electric power alone from its battery pack — reportedly the longest all-electric range of any non-BEV vehicle sold in Pakistan at the time of launch. It also arrived loaded with more than 20 Level-2 driver-assistance features, including automated parking functions, and interior touches like zero-gravity passenger seating that are typically reserved for vehicles well above its price bracket.

Priced at an introductory rate of roughly PKR 9.999 million, the S05 positioned itself as an accessible entry point into serious electrified motoring — not a novelty EV for early adopters, but a mainstream family SUV with electric underpinnings.

Beyond the S05: Building Out a Fleet

Deepal hasn’t stopped at a single model. The brand has been steadily rolling out a broader REEV and EV lineup in Pakistan, including the L07 sedan, the S07 SUV, and the fully electric E07, with additional models like the G318 and the performance-oriented K50 Hunter REEV — which reportedly targets an 850-kilometer combined range with dual-motor all-wheel drive — signaling further expansion still to come.

That breadth matters. A single standout model can generate headlines; a full model line, spanning body styles and price points, is what actually shifts a market’s underlying purchasing habits. By offering REEV technology across sedans, compact SUVs, and larger performance SUVs, Deepal is positioning itself less as a niche EV importer and more as a genuine full-line competitor to Pakistan’s established combustion-engine players.

Why This Matters for the Industry

The ripple effects go beyond Deepal’s own sales figures. Local assembly — rather than pure completely-built-unit (CBU) importing — brings real manufacturing investment into Pakistan, creating jobs and building domestic technical capability around electric drivetrains for the first time at meaningful scale. Industry commentary around the S05’s launch has repeatedly framed it not just as a new product, but as a new benchmark for what electrified manufacturing in Pakistan can look like.

It’s also intensifying competition. Rival brands, including Forthing with its Friday model, have begun entering the same REEV compact SUV segment, suggesting the format itself — rather than just Deepal’s specific execution of it — is being validated by the wider market. That’s a meaningful signal: it means Pakistan’s auto industry isn’t just absorbing one company’s product, but adapting its overall strategy around a new powertrain category.

The Road Ahead

None of this means Pakistan’s transition to electrified vehicles is complete, or even close to it. Charging infrastructure remains underdeveloped outside major cities, import duties and currency volatility continue to affect pricing, and REEV technology is, by design, a bridge rather than a final destination — most manufacturers, Deepal included, still see full battery-electric vehicles as the eventual endpoint once infrastructure catches up.

But bridges matter. By solving the range-anxiety problem that has stalled EV adoption elsewhere, and backing that solution with local assembly, competitive pricing, and a genuinely broad model lineup, Deepal has done something more significant than simply launching a car in Pakistan. It has given the country’s auto industry a working model for what electrification can look like in a market not yet ready for pure EVs — and in doing so, it’s pulled a cautious industry a meaningful step further down the road toward one.

The post How Deepal’s REEV Fleet Is Reshaping Pakistan’s Auto Industry appeared first on The Financial Daily.

Amid this massive enforcement campaign, many misleading links and fake mobile applications are being shared online. These fraudulent apps often claim to help you check your E-Challan status but can steal your personal data or install malicious software on your phone.

Let’s be absolutely clear: there is only one authentic method to check your Karachi E-Challans — through the official Sindh Police website and the TRACKS 4 App.

Step-by-Step Guide to Check Karachi E-Challan Officially

1. Visit the Sindh Police Official Website
   Go to https://www.sindhpolice.gov.pk.
   Scroll to the bottom-right corner of the homepage and click on the “E-Challan” option.
2. Download the TRACKS 4 App
   The E-Challan link will redirect you to an official APK file for the TRACKS 4 App, developed and verified by Sindh Police.
   This app is compatible with most Android devices (some older models may face installation issues).
3. Allow Download Permissions
   When prompted, grant Chrome download permissions to install the file safely.
   Avoid downloading from third-party sources or social media links.
4. Install and Open the App
   Once downloaded, open the TRACKS 4 App on your device.
5. Register with Your CNIC
   Enter your CNIC number linked to your registered vehicles.
   You will receive a One-Time Password (OTP) on your registered email and mobile number for verification.
6. Check Your Challans and Driving Points
   After verification, you can view your pending challans, fine amounts, and driving points (if any have been deducted due to traffic violations).

Important Advisory

Avoid any “E-Challan” app links shared through WhatsApp, Facebook, or Telegram groups.
The TRACKS 4 App from the official Sindh Police website is the only legitimate platform to verify your fines, challan details, and driving record.

Conclusion

The Sindh Police’s digital challan system is transforming Karachi’s traffic discipline. With crores in fines issued and hundreds of citizens submitting apology letters at Sahulat Marakiz, the message is clear — traffic laws are being enforced more strictly than ever.
Stay informed, use official channels, and avoid fake apps to ensure your data and reputation remain secure.

Official Website: https://www.sindhpolice.gov.pk
Official App: TRACKS 4 (via Sindh Police E-Challan link)

The post How to Check E-Challan in Karachi – Avoid Fake Apps and Follow the Official Method appeared first on The Financial Daily.

Changing Narratives: Women Behind the Handlebar

Launched in 2017, the WOW programme trains women in Lahore, Punjab, to ride motorcycles—a practice long considered taboo in Pakistan. Despite cultural resistance, the programme has gained momentum, attracting women like Laiba Rashid, a 22-year-old student eager to reduce her dependence on male relatives.

• Laiba Rashid’s Aspiration:
  “I hope this will change my life because I am dependent on my brother to pick me up and drop me off at college,” she says, reflecting the sentiments of many women seeking autonomy.
• Breaking Taboos:
  Activist Bushra Iqbal Hussain draws parallels between women riding motorcycles today and their gradual acceptance of driving cars in the 1980s, calling it a cultural shift.

Economic Realities Fuel the Shift

With Pakistan’s stagnant wages and rising inflation, motorcycles offer a more affordable alternative to cars.

• Cost Comparison:
  • A motorcycle costs about Rs115,000, compared to Rs2.3 million for the cheapest car.
  • Pakistan’s annual GDP per capita stands at $1,590, making motorcycles the only viable vehicle for many households.
• Programme Impact:
  • Over 6,600 women have been trained, with Rashid’s batch being the 86th since the initiative’s inception.
  • Participants range from young students to working mothers and professionals, reflecting the programme’s wide-reaching appeal.

Stories of Empowerment

1. Ghania Raza (23) – A criminology doctoral student describes the experience as “breaking a glass ceiling,” gaining a profound sense of achievement.
2. Shumaila Shafiq (36) – A mother of three and part-time fashion designer now confidently drives her husband’s motorcycle to markets and errands. She has even designed a short-length abaya for safer riding, with plans to market it to other female riders.

The Road Ahead: Expanding Horizons

The WOW programme continues to challenge societal norms, providing women with a tangible tool for independence while reshaping public perceptions of their role in society.

• Social Shift:
  The growing number of women riders is fostering discussions on gender roles and challenging traditional expectations in public spaces.
• Economic Opportunities:
  Participants not only gain mobility but also open doors to employment and entrepreneurial ventures, such as Shafiq’s innovative abaya design.
• Cultural Acceptance:
  As more women take to the streets on two wheels, resistance is gradually giving way to admiration for their courage and determination.

The Women on Wheels programme isn’t just teaching women to ride; it’s helping them rewrite societal norms and take control of their destinies.

The post Women on Wheels: Transforming Lives and Breaking Barriers in Pakistan appeared first on The Financial Daily.