Exploring the Marketing Strategies for Electric Vehicles in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

This research project investigates effective marketing strategies for promoting electric vehicle (EV) adoption in Pakistan, addressing the critical gap between government policy aspirations and market reality. Despite Pakistan's Electric Vehicle Policy 2020-2025 targeting 30% electrification of new vehicle sales by 2030, current EV adoption remains below 1%, revealing fundamental failures in marketing approaches to communicate value propositions and address consumer concerns. The study employs a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, combining quantitative surveys of 150 consumers across major Pakistani cities with qualitative stakeholder interviews to generate comprehensive insights into adoption barriers and opportunities. The research project examines consumer awareness levels, perceptions of electric vehicles, perceived adoption barriers, and purchase intentions while testing five key hypotheses regarding the relationships between marketing communication, perceived value, infrastructure concerns, economic versus environmental messaging, government incentives, and trust in information sources. The findings identify three critical root causes constraining adoption: marketing strategy misalignment with Pakistani cultural and economic contexts, infrastructure communication failures that inadequately address legitimate consumer concerns, and substantial gaps between available government incentives and consumer awareness. The research project develops evidence-based, segment-specific marketing frameworks addressing high-end, mid-range, and budget consumer segments while emphasizing the primacy of trust-building, economic value communication, and transparent infrastructure guidance. These strategic recommendations provide actionable pathways for Saige and stakeholders to accelerate Pakistan's electric vehicle transition through culturally appropriate, economically focused, and credibility-centered marketing approaches that bridge the adoption gap within resource constraints.