Electric Vehicles - The Times Of Central Asia

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Transport

Bishkek’s Tender to Convert Trolleybuses into Electric Buses Fails, Again

For the second time, a municipal tender in Bishkek aimed at converting trolleybuses into electric buses has ended in failure. According to the Kyrgyz public procurement portal, no bids were submitted for the project, which offered 4.5 million KGS (approximately USD 51,500) per unit. Following the unsuccessful tender, local media reported that city authorities approached an unnamed Chinese company directly to initiate a pilot conversion of one trolleybus. However, transport industry experts are skeptical, noting that retrofitting Belarusian models designed for overhead power may prove technically complex and economically unjustifiable. The initiative stems from a controversial municipal decision to transition trolleybuses to battery power rather than restoring the city’s overhead network, which was dismantled between 2023 and 2024 under the "Clean Sky" program. The plan has been heavily criticized by both residents and experts since its inception. Environmental group #BishkekSmog argued that the cost of converting the city's remaining 50 trolleybuses could exceed USD 2.5 million. “Why invest additional millions when the existing trolleybuses are already capable of operating on the overhead contact network?” the group stated. “Moreover, the name of the supposed contractor, a private Chinese company, has not been disclosed, raising concerns about transparency and the quality of any potential work.” Meanwhile, legal proceedings continue over the municipality’s decision to decommission the trolleybus network. The next hearing is scheduled for June 25 at the Bishkek Administrative Court. Activists and legal advocates argue that the dismantling violated international loan agreements and undermined the long-term sustainability of the city's public transport system. The Asian Development Bank has distanced itself from the city's current strategy, stating that it does not support the conversion initiative and had no involvement in the project.

E-Scooter Ban

E-Scooter Ban and Moped Crackdown on Bishkek’s Agenda

The Jogorku Kenesh, Kyrgyzstan’s parliament, has called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Bishkek City Council to urgently address the rising threat posed by electric scooters and mopeds on city sidewalks. Lawmakers claim that the growing presence of these vehicles has made pedestrians fearful and contributed to an increase in traffic accidents, some of them fatal. Speaker of the Jogorku Kenesh, Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, has formally appealed to the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Mayor of Bishkek to take swift and decisive action. “Most scooter and moped drivers are children. They do not have driver's licenses, and mopeds are not captured by traffic cameras. Many countries have strict regulations for such vehicles. We need to implement similar rules,” said Turgunbek uulu. Lawmakers argue that the unchecked proliferation of electric scooters, often abandoned on sidewalks, makes Bishkek resemble cities in Southeast Asia. According to the Patrol Service, the capital has seen a sharp rise in accidents involving scooters and mopeds, with 186 incidents recorded since the beginning of 2025, resulting in six deaths and 207 injuries. This marks a 118% increase compared to the previous year. In response, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has proposed a total ban on electric scooter rentals, asserting that rental users are the primary source of risk. Many of them ride at high speeds, ignore traffic rules, and operate scooters on sidewalks and narrow alleys. Authorities also point out that rental companies often neglect maintenance, leaving safety unchecked. The city’s infrastructure, they argue, is ill-equipped to manage the growing number of scooters. “Everyone rides however they want, there are no rules and no responsibility,” a police spokesperson commented. To improve safety on highways, the ministry also recommends mandatory registration for mopeds and the introduction of a new driver's license category, M1. Parliamentarians have drafted a bill currently under review by the State Security and National Security Committee. It introduces a new classification, individual mobility device (IMD), modeled after similar legislation in Russia. Under the proposal, all IMDs capable of exceeding 50 km/h, or with an engine displacement over 50cc or a power output above 4 kW, must be registered. Less powerful IMDs would require users to obtain a special license, available from the age of 14. The Bishkek city administration has expressed support for the Interior Ministry’s proposals but emphasized that implementing the new rules would necessitate revisiting existing agreements with scooter rental firms.

Transport

Kazakhstan Fears Electric Cars Will Strain Energy Infrastructure

Kazakhstani lawmaker Nauryz Saylaubai has raised concerns over the country’s ability to support the growing number of electric vehicles (EVs), citing infrastructure challenges and regulatory gaps. In a request to First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar, the Mazhilis (lower house of parliament) member called for urgent measures to address these issues. Growing Number of Electric Vehicles According to the Bureau of National Statistics, the share of electric-powered vehicles in Kazakhstan remains relatively small. As of February 1, 2025, the country had 12,655 registered electric cars, 350 electric trucks, and 189 electric buses. In contrast, there were 4.45 million gasoline-powered cars, 91,100 diesel-powered vehicles, 10,100 gas-powered cars, and 400,300 hybrid vehicles running on a mix of gasoline, gas, and electricity. Despite the low overall share, EV adoption has been accelerating. A year ago, on February 1, 2024, Kazakhstan had only 8,366 electric cars, 277 electric trucks, and 38 electric buses. This represents a 25% increase in electric cars and a fivefold rise in electric buses over the past year. Energy Infrastructure Concerns The rapid growth of EVs has raised concerns among lawmakers about the ability of Kazakhstan’s aging power grid to handle the additional demand. "It is well known that an increase in the number of electric vehicles puts additional pressure on power grids. Given that our grid infrastructure is already outdated, won't this lead to future accidents? What measures are being taken to address this issue?" Saylaubai asked. Kazakhstan’s EV market is expected to keep expanding, as electric vehicles are exempt from the country's scrappage tax and import registration fees, making them approximately 15% cheaper than conventional cars. Charging Infrastructure and Service Gaps Saylaubai also highlighted the country’s insufficient charging infrastructure. "According to international standards, the optimal ratio of electric vehicles to public charging stations should be 10 to 1. In Kazakhstan today, there is just one charging station for every 43 electric cars," the lawmaker noted. State-owned road infrastructure operator KazAutoZhol had planned to install 40 new charging stations along intercity highways in 2024, but by the end of last year, only 23 had been completed. Another major issue is the lack of service centers for EV repairs and maintenance, particularly in rural regions. Owners outside major cities struggle to find specialists and spare parts, while logistical challenges further complicate EV accessibility in remote areas. Saylaubai urged the government to develop a nationwide network of service stations and ensure the availability of spare parts. Legal Uncertainty Over Autopilot Systems The lawmaker also pointed to regulatory gaps regarding the use of autopilot features in electric vehicles. "The vast majority of electric cars are equipped with autopilot functions, but it remains unclear whether drivers are legally allowed to activate them within city limits or who would be held responsible in the event of an accident," he said. Additionally, he warned that electric cars can reach high speeds within seconds, potentially posing risks to road safety. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, Kazakhstan’s car market set a new record for...

Employment Electric Vehicles International investment Manufacturing

First Electric Vehicles Roll Off China’s BYD Assembly Line in Uzbekistan

On June 27, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev joined his Chinese partners in witnessing the start of production of electric vehicles at the BYD Uzbekistan Factory in Jizzakh. The visit marked the completion of first phase of the project which will have the capacity to manufacture 50,000 electric vehicles per year. Costing $160 million, the plant is furnished with modern equipment and robotic systems from China, as well as a laboratory for high-precision testing of the geometric dimensions of electric vehicles. The plant currently manufactures the Chazor and Song Plus Champion and President Mirziyoyev left his signature on the first electric car that rolled off the assembly line. In the coming years, the range of models will expand. During the second phase, costing $300 million, manufacture will increase to up to 200 thousand electric vehicles per year, and in the third stage, at a further cost of $500 million, up to 500 thousand vehicles. In tandem with the rising volume of vehicles produced at the plant, local production of related parts will also increase. Starting with bumpers, glass, varnished and plastic parts, plans are in place to establish new enterprises to produce batteries, electric motors, aluminium parts, tires, and seats. The plant currently employs 1.2 thousand people and once all three stages are complete, the number of jobs will reach 10 thousand.

Electric Vehicles

Uzbekistan Boosts Electric Vehicle Industry

Expansion of electric vehicles manufacturing in Uzbekistan was discussed at a February 6th government meeting chaired by president Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mr Mirziyoyev gave an order to speed up projects in the domestic electric vehicle industry, emphasizing the need to establish local production of components in cooperation with the Chinese company BYD, a leading global producer of new energy vehicles and next-generation batteries. Mr Mirziyoyev also urged the industry to develop a network of electric vehicle charging stations in Uzbekistan. Today eight factories in Uzbekistan manufacture dozens of types of cars, passenger and freight vehicles, agricultural and special machinery. During his visit to China in January, Mr Mirziyoyev and BYD’s president Wang Chuanfu launched an assembly plant for hybrid and electric vehicles in Uzbekistan’s Jizzakh region, with a production capacity of 50,000 vehicles per year. He also supported BYD’s plans to assemble of its own electric buses in Uzbekistan. At the February 6th meeting, officials reported that over the past three years sales of electric vehicles in Uzbekistan have increased ten-fold; in 2023, 35% of car imports were electric and hybrid cars. Uzbekistan’s State Customs Committee earlier said that the country imported 22,490 electric vehicles (EV) worth $582.3m in the first 10 months of 2023, a six-fold increase compared to the same period in 2022. Of these, 20,640 EVs (91.7%) came from China, and the others were imported from the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, the United States, and Germany.