The short version: BYD's Pakistan plant at Gharo, Sindh, is still under construction. HUBCO's latest Pakistan Stock Exchange filings target its commercial operations date (COD) in the second half of 2026. Its capacity will be about 25,000 vehicles a year, scalable to 50,000. The project cost is US$150 million and reached financial close in January 2026. No exact start date, first-model list, monthly sales target or price change has been officially announced. Until local assembly begins, every BYD in Pakistan is imported fully built. Prices today run from Rs 7,290,000 (Atto 2) to Rs 19,950,000 (Shark 6).
This update relies only on official documents. These are HUBCO's PSX filings and annual report, the government's Special Technology Zones Authority, and the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency. Market talk about a specific start month and first-year sales has circulated, but none of it has been confirmed by BYD, Mega Motor Company or HUBCO, so we leave it out. For what BYD said about Pakistan as a regional hub and ultra-fast charging, see our earlier report on BYD's regional hub comments.
Who is building the plant
- Mega Motor Company (Private) Limited (MMCPL) is BYD's distributor in Pakistan. Its stated principal activity is "to assemble, progressively manufacture and market BYD vehicles in Pakistan" (HUBCO Integrated Annual Report 2026).
- Ownership: a 50:50 venture between Hub Power Holdings Limited (a HUBCO subsidiary) and Mega Conglomerate (Private) Limited. HUBCO's stake was diluted to 50% on 28 February 2025.
- The BYD link: in June 2024, MMCPL signed a distribution agreement with BYD Auto Industry Company Limited.
- Further investment: during FY2026, HUBCO's holding company invested another Rs 6,600 million in MMCPL alongside Mega Conglomerate, keeping its 50% share.
- Sponsor guarantees: on 15 October 2025, HUBCO shareholders approved sponsor support for the Gharo plant. This includes corporate guarantees of up to US$55 million to cover cost overruns and debt or working-capital shortfalls.
The plant in numbers
| Item | Official figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Gharo, District Thatta, Sindh | STZA, HUBCO |
| Land / covered area | 73.4 acres / 1,863,176 sq ft | STZA |
| Zone status | Under construction | STZA, checked 21 October 2026 |
| Investment | US$150 million | HUBCO briefing, Sep 2026 |
| Financial close | January 2026 | HUBCO briefing and annual report |
| Lenders (US$ million) | BOP–AFD 21.7, HBL 23.0, BII 23.0, BOP–HBL 22.3 | HUBCO briefing |
| Capacity | About 25,000 vehicles a year, scalable to 50,000 | HUBCO briefing |
| Target COD | Second half of 2026 | HUBCO briefings, Feb and Sep 2026 |
| Plant sections | Warehouse, weld unit, paint unit, assembly line, logistics unit and a CBU yard for finished cars | Sindh EPA impact assessment |
| Vehicle types planned | Electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hybrids | Sindh EPA impact assessment |
The Special Technology Zones Authority (STZA) lists the site as the "BYD NEV Production Zone". It describes it as integrating "assembly, testing, training and smart-factory systems", with a focus on EV assembly and testing, robotics and automation. The environmental and social impact assessment filed with Sindh EPA sets out the plant's main sections.
Official timeline so far
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| June 2024 | MMCPL signs a distribution agreement with BYD Auto Industry |
| August 2024 | BYD brand launched in Pakistan |
| October 2024 | Atto 3 and Seal introduced |
| February 2025 | Mega Conglomerate takes 50% of MMCPL |
| July 2025 | Shark 6 launched, which HUBCO calls Pakistan's first PHEV pickup |
| October 2025 | HUBCO shareholders approve sponsor support for the Gharo plant |
| January 2026 | Financial close of the CKD plant. Atto 2 and Sealion 7 added. First third-party dealership opens in Faisalabad |
| February 2026 | HUBCO says plant construction is "in full swing to achieve COD in 2H 2026" (HUBCO's H1 FY2026 analyst briefing (26 February 2026)) |
| July 2026 | Over 2,000 units arrive in the largest single roll-on/roll-off ship delivery so far |
| August 2026 | 3S dealership opens on Pine Avenue, Lahore |
| 1 September 2026 | HUBCO says construction and commissioning are "progressing toward" COD in 2H-2026 (HUBCO's corporate briefing presentation of 1 September 2026) |
| 28 October 2026 | HUBCO board meets on first-quarter results, according to its board meeting notice filed on 20 October 2026. This is the next scheduled point for an official update |
Reading the timeline: "second half of 2026" means by 31 December 2026, and only about ten weeks of that window are left. HUBCO's filings have kept that target since February. The company has not published a narrower date, and commercial operation of a car plant normally follows trial builds and quality checks. Treat any specific start date as unconfirmed until BYD Pakistan or HUBCO announce it.
Current BYD prices in Pakistan
All of these are imported fully built (CBU) today. Prices are from Autowheels model pages and match BYD Pakistan (Mega Motor Company) where it lists them (Atto 3, Seal and Shark 6).
| Model | Type | Variant | Price | Battery / range (Autowheels) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BYD Atto 2 | EV compact SUV | Premium | Rs 7,290,000 | 45.12 kWh / 380 km (NEDC) |
| BYD Atto 3 | EV compact SUV | Advance | Rs 8,990,000 | 49.92 kWh / 410 km |
| BYD Seal | EV sedan | Dynamic / Premium | Rs 14,790,000 / Rs 16,990,000 | 61.44–82.56 kWh / 510–650 km |
| BYD Sealion 7 | EV mid-size SUV | Advanced | Rs 15,490,000 | 82.56 kWh / 567 km |
| BYD Shark 6 | PHEV pickup | Premium | Rs 19,950,000 | 29.58 kWh / 100 km electric, 800 km combined |
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BYD Atto 2: rear three-quarter view
What local assembly could change for buyers
- Which models are made locally: not announced. The Sindh EPA assessment says the plant is designed for EVs, plug-in hybrids and hybrids. Neither BYD Pakistan nor HUBCO has named the first car to come off the line. Don't assume every BYD model, or your preferred one, will be built at Gharo.
- Prices: no price change has been announced. HUBCO's annual report describes the CKD facility as "a further step towards greater localization". Buyers generally expect locally assembled cars to cost less than fully imported ones, because duties on kits and local parts are usually lower. That is an expectation, not a price promise. The final effect depends on taxes, tariffs, the rupee and how many parts are sourced locally. The tax rules are also moving: see our explainers on what is law now for EV tax, IMF pressure on EV tax and the IMF review of the auto policy.
- Waiting times and stock: a local line should mean fewer delays from ship schedules than the CBU model has today. Exact delivery times will only be known once production starts.
- Service and parts: HUBCO lists experience centres and dealerships in Karachi (Metropole, Korangi), Lahore (Gulberg, DHA, Pine Avenue) and Islamabad (Expressway), franchise dealers in Faisalabad and the south, and eight more dealerships in development. Its charging arm reports 24 DC fast chargers along a corridor of about 1,300 km between Karachi and Peshawar.
- Resale: local assembly usually helps resale values in Pakistan, because parts become easier to find and buyers see the brand as staying for the long term.
Should you buy a BYD now or wait
| Situation | Our view |
|---|---|
| You need a car in the next three months | Buy on today's CBU price. Nothing official says a local version is about to replace your model |
| You are flexible and price-sensitive | Watch HUBCO's 28 October results and any BYD Pakistan launch notice. A local model and price would be announced before deliveries |
| You want the Atto 2 | At Rs 7,290,000 it is already BYD's cheapest car. Compare it with the MG4 EV, MG Binguo EV and Chery Q |
| You want the Shark 6 | Compare it with diesel and range-extender pickups in our pickup price comparison |
Before you book, ask the dealer in writing whether your car is CBU or locally assembled, and whether the price is locked until delivery.
Bottom line
The official position is clear but broad. The US$150 million Gharo plant is under construction and targeted for commercial operation in the second half of 2026, with capacity for about 25,000 cars a year. Everything more specific is unconfirmed: the start date, the first models, monthly volumes and any price effect. Browse the full BYD range, compare rivals in the comparison tool, or read about other local EV and NEV moves: Sazgar's Arcfox plans, OMODA and JAECOO's 15,000 local units and the rising car import bill.
