Nepal Government Approves Policy to Convert Internal Combustion Vehicles to Electric

Kathmandu. To reduce the rising import of petroleum products and environmental pollution, the government has made a policy decision to allow the conversion of old diesel and petrol vehicles into electric vehicles.

The Cabinet meeting held on Sunday decided to direct the concerned bodies to resolve the necessary legal hurdles and make appropriate arrangements for such conversions.

Government spokesperson and Minister of Education, Sasmita Pokharel, stated that the Cabinet made this decision with the objective of environmental protection and reducing fuel consumption. Previously, vehicle owners faced difficulties due to the lack of clear legal provisions regarding registration, renewal, and technical standards when converting old fuel-powered vehicles to electric.

With this government decision, old vehicles can now be made eco-friendly at a lower cost instead of being scrapped.

Spokesperson Pokharel said, 'A decision has been made to arrange the necessary legal provisions to convert diesel and petrol vehicles into electric vehicles. On one hand, this will reduce dependency on fuel, and on the other, it will help increase the consumption of Nepal's renewable energy (electricity).'