Geely Pakistan launch brings three electric and hybrid cars through Bestway. Local assembly of up to 25,000 a year is the bigger bet.

The Geely Pakistan launch on Saturday adds a large Chinese carmaker to a market where sales are recovering but buyers are squeezed by fuel prices. Bestway Group, best known in Pakistan for cement and its stake in UBL, unveiled three new energy vehicles and said it is preparing a plant at Port Qasim, Karachi, that can assemble up to 25,000 vehicles a year, Business Recorder reported.

The short version

• Bestway Automotive is the sole authorised distributor of Geely in Pakistan and launched three models: the EX2 electric hatchback, the EX5 electric SUV and the Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid SUV.
• Cars will be imported first; Bestway aims to have locally assembled Geely vehicles on the road next year.
• Prices, booking dates and the investment amount have not been announced.
• Financing through UBL and a nationwide charging network run by Bestway Renewable Technologies are planned.

What happened

Bestway Group, founded in London in 1976, launched Geely Auto in Pakistan on 24 October, describing it as its entry into the automotive sector. Its 24.71-acre Port Qasim facility, with more than 403,000 square feet of covered space, is being prepared for completely knocked down (CKD) assembly. The company proposed a warranty of up to six years or 150,000 km on the vehicle and eight years on the battery and motor, and plans a nationwide dealer network and online booking. Final prices and specifications “would be announced through official channels”, it said.

Geely is one of the world’s biggest makers of electric and hybrid cars. It sold about 4.12 million vehicles in 2025, of which 2.29 million, or 56%, were new energy vehicles, and is targeting 6.5 million sales by 2030, according to the launch details reported by Business Recorder.

More than half of Geely’s global sales are already electric or hybrid

Geely Holding Group vehicle sales, millions of units

New energy vehicles sold, 2025

2.29m (56%)

All vehicles sold, 2025

4.12m

Sales target, 2030

6.5m (target)

Why it matters

The Geely Pakistan entry comes as car sales rose 43% year on year in the first quarter of FY2026-27, according to Business Recorder, though our look at auto sector profits in Pakistan found that tax and policy doubts are eating into carmakers’ margins. Fuel costs are also shaping demand: with levies taking about Rs85 of every litre, as explained in our petrol price breakdown, electric and plug-in hybrid cars have a running-cost case they did not have a few years ago. A 25,000-unit plant would be a meaningful addition to local capacity if it runs near full use.

The investment also comes from a group with existing roots in Pakistan. At a time when profit repatriation from Pakistan exceeds net FDI, a new assembly plant from an established investor is the kind of project the government has said it wants.

The knock-on effects

First order: more choice in electric and hybrid cars

Three models across a hatchback, an SUV and a plug-in hybrid widen the range of new energy vehicles on sale. Their impact will depend on prices, which have not been disclosed.

Second order: charging, financing and parts

A charging network, UBL financing and CKD assembly could create demand for installers, lenders and local parts suppliers, if volumes build.

Third order: pressure on established carmakers

More Chinese brands assembling locally may push incumbents on price, warranties and new models. Tariff policy for the auto sector, still under discussion, will shape how far this goes.

Who could benefit

• Car buyers looking for lower running costs, if prices are competitive.
• UBL and other lenders through new auto financing.
• Local vendors and workers around Port Qasim once assembly starts.

Who may face pressure

• Established carmakers selling petrol SUVs and hatchbacks in the same segments.
• Fuel retailers, slowly, if electric and hybrid adoption grows.
• The power grid in cities where home charging adds to evening demand.

What to watch

• Prices and booking dates, which Bestway says will be announced through official channels.
• The tariff structure in the proposed Auto Industry Development Policy 2025-30, on which a government panel is seeking the Prime Minister’s guidance.
• 2027: whether locally assembled Geely cars reach the road as targeted.

Sources

• Business Recorder, Geely enters Pakistan through Bestway Group, unveils three NEVs, 24 October 2026
• Business Recorder, Proposed AIDP 2025-30: Panel to seek PM’s guidance on tariff structure, 24 October 2026

This is analysis, not investment advice. Figures are as of 24 October 2026.