Panel discussion on ‘Accelerating EV Adoption in Bhutan’ at FAB23 in Bhutan
Bhutan is one of the few countries in the world who have committed to be carbon neutral and have achieved this status since 2011. With almost 99.9% fossil fuel-dependent vehicles, the country has experienced a surge in its fossil fuel import bill. Embracing clean and sustainable mobility has become crucial in meeting the climate change challenge in Bhutan, as its all set to grow while staying carbon neutral.
Bhutan launched its e-mobility initiatives in 2018 but not much progress has been made on Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption and deployment since then. To create an enabling ecosystem for accelerating electric vehicles adoption and deployment in Bhutan, USAID through its South Asia Regional Energy Partnership (SAREP) Program hosted a panel discussion on ‘Accelerating EV Adoption in Bhutan’ at FAB23 in Bhutan on July 28, 2023.
John Smith Sreen, Director, Indo-Pacific Office, USAID/India delivered the welcome address at the session followed by a keynote address by Tenzin, Director General, Department of Surface Transport, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. This was followed by a panel discussion consisting of panellists from public as well as private sector.
Apart from highlighting the gaps and challenges in Bhutan EV ecosystem, the session discussed enabling policy frameworks for EV adoption, creation of charging infrastructure, role of private sector, adoption of innovative business models on e-mobility with an aim to increase EV adoption in Bhutan. It also focussed on catalysing partnerships with South Asian countries like India for accelerating e-mobility deployment in Bhutan.
Agenda:
