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These announcements were expected to witness a slew of positive policy developments around the electric mobility sector. However, the case was different. Enter Yatri Motorcycles, a homegrown electric motorcycle manufacturer which has been working to develop performance-focused electric vehicles from the ground up, in Nepal. Or, let's say, the homegrown EV maker facing an ongoing battle to register homegrown vehicles in Nepal.
December 2017: Yatri registered as a company at the Office of the Company Registrar with the aim to develop electric vehicles in Nepal and conduct sales and distribution of these said vehicles in Nepal and beyond. The company then immediately began applying for permissions and certificates from various ministries and departments. This certificate granted Yatri permission to set up a ‘cha’ category workshop to build our own chassis indigenously in Nepal.
Amongst many certificates, the most important one was the permission to build its own chassis which was awarded by the Department of Transport Management (DOTM) under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MOPIT). This certificate granted Yatri Motorcycles permission to set up a ‘cha’ category workshop to build its own chassis indigenously in Nepal. Contrary to others, Yatri doesn't bring CKD parts to assemble from foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) which several other companies are doing.
Section 20 of the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act 2075 for Bagmati Province
Section 11 of the Yatayat Byawasthapan Karyawidhi Nirdeshika, 2074
In the near future, it’s anticipated that there will be an increase in start-ups across the electric mobility sector. From our perspective, there is no clear regulation in sight to govern the registration of Nepal-made motor vehicles. Yatri's concerns have validity because the lack of clear leadership and vision in the government has been the single biggest root cause for this unacceptable delay in registration. Further, the legal inconsistencies and the lack of objectively defined policies have complicated the requirements for Yatri Motorcycles.
With the world stepping towards EVs on a larger scale, it is essential that we make that transition quickly for a cleaner, greener future. And if we are to accommodate the 2031 A.D. fossil fuel vehicles ban, the government should act early and decisively for the growth of homegrown EV makers.