EV sales boom in Nepal, helping to save on oil imports, alleviate smog

By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA
Associated Press

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s abundant hydroelectric power is helping the Himalayan nation cut its oil imports and clean up its air, thanks to a boom in sales of electric vehicles. Nearly all of the electricity produced in Nepal is clean energy, most of it generated by river-fed hydro-electricity. Nepal’s imports of EVs have doubled in each of the past two years, allowing the country to save its precious foreign currency instead of spending it on imports of oil and other fuels. But EVs are not going to fully clear Kathmandu’s smog, since the country also relies heavily on burning of biofuels for cooking and heating.