According to cumulative foreign trade data released by the Department of Customs, Nepal imported a total of 8,002 cars, jeeps, and vans during July and August. Of this total, 6,648 units—or roughly 83 out of every 100 vehicles—were fully electric, marking a sharp displacement of traditional petrol and diesel vehicles.
Import Breakdown by HS Code and Financials
Data from the Department of Customs reveals that the 6,648 electric vehicles entered the country across three primary HS code classifications:
The total import value for these EVs reached Rs 7.30 billion (Rs 730.75 crore). Notably, the category of "Other Electric Vehicles" alone accounted for around Rs 6.7 billion of the import value. Government coffers collected Rs 450.2 million in customs and tax revenue from these electric imports.
Conventional and Hybrid Vehicles Shrink
While green mobility surges, imports of conventional internal combustion engine vehicles continue to contract:
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Petrol Vehicles: A total of 1,216 petrol-powered cars, jeeps, and vans were brought in, with an import value of Rs 98.62 crore and a revenue generation of Rs 19.56 crore.
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Diesel Vehicles: Imports of diesel-powered four-wheelers dropped significantly to just 101 units, recording an import value of Rs 28.67 crore and yielding Rs 9.7 crore in customs revenue.
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Hybrid Vehicles: Market presence for hybrids (both plug-in and non-plug-in) remained exceptionally low, with only 37 units arriving during the two-month period. Their import value stood at Rs 20.79 crore, contributing Rs 4.94 crore to state revenue.
Across all four-wheelers combined, total customs and tax revenue deposited during the period reached Rs 79.22 crore. Market analysts note that this rapid pivot underscores a structural shift toward eco-friendly transportation and green energy utilization across Nepal.
