Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today met with a delegation from Indus Motor Company, led by Vice Chairman Shinji Yanagi and Chief Executive Ali Asghar Jamali at the Prime Minister’s Office to showcase Pakistan’s first locally manufactured Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV).
The meeting was attended by Yoshiki Konishi, President of Toyota Asia and Chief Engineer of the Corolla Cross, along with Mitsuhiro Wada, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, and Cabinet Members including Federal Minister of Finance Ishaq Dar and Federal Minister of Industries & Production Makhdoom Murtaza Mehmood.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif praised Toyota for introducing the first locally manufactured Hybrid SUV in Pakistan and emphasized the importance of further localization efforts and export focus. He also assured the continuation of incentives for Hybrid Electric Vehicles as outlined in the AIDEP 2021-26 policy.
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Federal Minister of Finance Ishaq Dar also expressed appreciation for the Corolla Cross Hybrid, highlighting the economic and environmental benefits that the new technology will bring to the country.
Yoshiki Konishi, President of Toyota Asia, stated, “For over 30 years, Toyota has contributed to Pakistan, thanks to the support of the government and people of Pakistan. I feel the Corolla, a product that is dear to my heart, has become Pakistan’s “people’s car” in terms of brand and meets Toyota’s vision of “Mobility for All”. With the launch of the new Corolla Cross HEV, we strongly believe that this HEV technology will become a solution that can gain scale and allow for accessible electrification in Pakistan, as it uses a relatively small battery and requires no additional infrastructure. It has also been proven to reduce Carbon Emissions and Improve Fuel Consumption by 30 – 50 per cent based on research by external agencies in several countries.
The Corolla Cross HEV also aligns well with Pakistan’s national interests such as investment, employment and building electrification for the next generation auto industry in the country. Importantly, it also can significantly reduce crude oil imports, reduce carbon emissions, and foreign exchange outflows to name a few. We remain confident that with the continued support of this honourable Government, such as the AIDEP 2021-26 including HEV incentive, the Corolla Cross HEV will continue to win the hearts of the people of Pakistan.”
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